A special thanks to Kiki's-stories-of-awesomeness for helping me out with this chapter, and for all you readers out there enjoying my story!
"Ah, nothing like letting ze body heal itself. I think you've recovered enough to battle today... Herr Spy?"
Medic looks over at Spy, expecting him to translate the news to the girl. Spy rolled his eyes. "*sigh*... Le crétin dit que vous pouvez vous joindre à nous pour la première bataille aujourd'hui. Vous sentez-vous à la hauteur?" ( The moron said that you can join us for the first battle today. Do you feel up to it?)
Tracker's eyes flashed back and forth between the two men. War? With people? Well... it can't be anymore different than hunting animals... right? " Euh ... oui. Je pense que oui ... mais ... si je meurs?" ( Uh... yes. I guess so... but... what if I die?)
Spy pats her shoulder and leans towards her to give a reassuring smile. "Ne vous inquiétez pas, ma magnifique. c'est ce que l'opération était destinée." ( Don't worry, my gorgeous. that's what the surgery was for.) She blushed, but looked perplexed at the same time. What does the surgery have to do with-
The intercom crackled to life, and all attention was attracted to it. "60 MINUTES UNTIL MISSION!" The voice cracked.
"Well Herr Spy, go and help Frau Tracker with getting her uniform and weapons." Medic turned around to her bed to take the covers and the IV needles off of her, then spun quickly back to Spy on sudden realization. "Oh! And go talk to Herr Engineer afterwards. He wanted to give the both of you somezing..."
It didn't take long, most of her class' G.I. equipment and uniform was shipped along with her in the same truck. All that mattered to her, though, was finding her precious belongings. She shuffled through more crates in Engineer's workshop until a smaller wooden one with the same stencil print 'TRACKER' like the first was found. Inside was a plaid shawl, beaded bracelet, and most importantly, her fur trapper hat. She picked it up and hugged it like one would to a puppy or a teddy bear. Spy cleared his throat after a couple of awkward seconds, which made Tracker jump and look up at him. " Oh, oui ... Désolé. Cela a été la première fourrure que j'ai tanné avec mon père." ( Oh, yes... sorry. This is the most important thing I own,) Spy's face twisted with confusion and slight disgust towards the dusty peice of hide. "Il m'a appris à faire des vêtements, mais c'était la première... "( It was the first fur I tanned with my dad. He taught me how to make clothes, but this was the first...) She looked down and away, trying to keep back old memories from surfacing, and slowly put the hat on.
Spy pats her shoulder and helps her off of the floor. "Ah, venez maintenant. Essayez de ne pas y penser. Venez, nous devons encore payer une visite à Ingénieur, pour obtenir vos armes." (ah, come now. try not to think about it. Come, we still need to pay Engineer a visit, to get your weapons.) He lookes down at his wrists, and exhales contently. "Et nous avons encore le temps pour votre formation avec eux aussi." (And we still have time for your training with them as well.)
"Y'all find everythin' alright?" Engineer's voice twanged out to the couple. He waddled up to them and smiled when Spy nodded.
"Oui, everyzing seems to be in order. Would you kindly let us in to ze training facility, mon ami? I zink she needs some proper knowledge on weapon handling."
"Uh, yeah, 'course!" The shorter man scoots back to one of the many metal tables scattering his quarters, and scoops up a black, almost book-like object off it. "Though, Ah think we should use the outside range..." He smiles at the both of them. "Got somethin' Ah'd like ta show ya."
She looked like a RED mercenary now. Her uniform, like everyone else's, was unique to her own class, and was made up of her hat, the big shawl she wrapped around her neck like a scarf, a red windbreaker with medium sleeves and her class patch stitched on each shoulder (which cleverly enough, was a compass), black, faded pants, mid-shin high leather carpenter-style boots, and rubber, short gloves. (why they where rubber, she didn't know) The uniform also came with a big, sling belt with an empty holster and loops, and a knife sheath that straps on to the thigh. She stumbled out of her room and held her arms out like she wanted to say 'ta-dah'.
Spy had taken his place against the wall, leaning nonchalantly, and grined as he pulled out a new cigarette. "Ah, oui. Tu ressembles à un de nous mercenaires cliniquement fou maintenant, jusqu'à la folie lacé dans vos yeux..." ( Ah, yes. You look like one of us clinically insane mercenaries now, right down to the crazy laced in your eyes.)
Tracker folded her arms across her chest and giggled. "Tais toi, mon vieux! Je ne suis pas folle comme vous, pas encore ..." (Hush up, old man! I ain't crazy like you, yet...) She gave Spy a fake little punch in his arm, as he feigned pain.
" Eh bien ..." ( Well...) Spy took a glance at his watch, 'for the fifteen-billionth time.' she mused. "Il semble qu'un bon moment est passé, nous ne devrions pas faire attendre l'ingénieur" (It seems a moment has passed, we shouldn't keep the Engineer waiting.)
"Alright. The Tracker class has a very... interestin' lil' arsenal up their sleeves..."
The Sun seemed exceptionally huge and excruciatingly bright as it hung in the middle of the sky. Tracker's attention, which was supposed to be invested in Engineer and Spy, was instead spent on the Fort's surrounding landscape. This was the stark opposite of her homeland in so many bad ways! Sure, there was the occasional farm or two on the horrizon, and a buzzard circling overhead, but other than thar, there really was no life here...
"Écoutez-vous, mon enfant?" (Are you listening, child?) Spy had a slightly irritated expression, as parts of his visible face glistened with sweat.
Her eyes snapped over to Spy. " Euh, quoi? Oh, ouais."(Uh, what? Oh, yeah.) She looked back over to the Texan and motioned him to continue. "Continuez!" (Keep going!)
Engineer chuckles as he turns to the bench behind him. Six objects where placed upon it, only four of which Tracker recognized, A Delacre machine pistol, several bear traps, a bowie knife... and that black rectangular device Engineer had picked up before he left. It was also the first thing he picked up from the rest as well. "This here," He split the object in half exposing a shiny, metal wire, coiling and bouncing from his action. "is a mobile electric wire. It can be positioned almost anywhere, gets up to 110,000 volts at 0.5 amps, and is designed to bring anybody down, but not out." Engie places the device into her hands and grins. "Let's go an' practice placing it out 'n the field, c'mon Spah."
Scout loved a good pre-battle run. It got his blood pumping, his heart racing, his lungs stretching... everything down to the blurred surroundings and the wind whistling past. By now, he must have circled the whole area at least a dozen times, and was turning a corner to the back of the RED base for the thirteenth time when he saw the trio crouched down on the ground, Spy and Tracker on one side and Engineer about twelve feet away on the other. "'EY, GAIN WAY, SLOWPOKES!"
The three looked up and instinctively moved out of the way. "Dammit, boy! Imma laugh when ya trip-" He stopped midway in his sentence when he heard the tell-tale clicking the fence made when a current went through it. He looked across and saw the girl giggling! "Scout! Stop, ya little-"
"Aw, shaddap, hawdha- GUUEEEEEAAAA!"
As soon as contact was made, the Scout's lithe body collapsed like an epileptic marionette. Engineer and Tracker ran to his twitching side while Spy stood back and tried to stifle his chuckles. Tracker looked up from Scout's body with glee in her eyes. "Regardez Spy! J'ai attrapé mon premier lapin avec ça!" (Look Spy! I caught my first rabbit with this!)
After this was said, fits of intense snorts and laughter rang through the Forts.