Well, I hope you all enjoyed my last chapter, "Encounter Base." I got some wonderful reviews already, and I'm hoping for some more that'll come with this chapter. Thanks, guys, for reading and reviewing. I'm just trying to be the best writer I can be, and you guys make it so much easier with all the support I've received. Thank you all. ^_^
I'm trying to make this intro-thing be pretty short... let's see... I'm hoping for either the NEXT chapter or the chapter AFTER that to become the chapter with M-rated content in it. And, again, it will not be uber graphic. I PROMISE. I am not that kind of writer, I have never WRITTEN anything that should be M-rated before, and I DO have some friends who have experience in that field who will be coaching me through it (Thanks Shannon! xD). I will even put a little note right before the M-rated content in the chapter so if you don't want to read it, you can. Happy? :D
Question of the Chapter: If you were actually part of the "Loose Ends" level (like Mckinley will be), what would you do? Like, would you force TF141 to make a run for it? Warn Ghost about what was going to happen at the end of the level? (For you Roach fan girls, let's say you are NOT in Roach's position, but still a part of TF141, and you knew about Shepherd's dastardly scheme.)
I really am loving all the responses I'm getting for these Question of the Chapters. I've shown some friends at school some of your answers, and most have made my friends burst out laughing. :D
Read and review, my dear, amazing, incredible readers!
ecto1B
Chapter 17:
Promotion
Like you may have guessed already, I was not very happy to hear that Shepherd required my presence inside the briefing tent (even if it was only through radio communications). In my opinion, he was a homicidal, insane fruit loop, a psychotic, grudge-holding mule, and a pigheaded traitor. Now, if I decided to actually call him that in front of anyone at Encounter Base, my head would be on a silver platter in milliseconds. Apparently "talking trash" about him would put me in a bad position… though I have a few friends back home in Pensacola who'd also love to throw something at his head, preferably something sharp… Oh well, you can't please everyone. Though I do have a feeling that the number of people who hate Shepherd with a fiery passion is much larger than the few who don't know he's a big fat son of a bitch.
Anyway—back to the subject at hand—I was very worried that Shepherd had somehow discovered how much I hated him, and was asking to see me just so he could punish me. But how could he know? Unless he read these notes… oh shit…
But, in fact, when Ghost and I got to the briefing tent, Shepherd was still on the radio, and apparently he had good news for me. MacTavish was beaming. Price was sitting on a nearby stool, not moving or talking and hardly even blinking. I wondered what his problem was, since he didn't look very happy about something.
Then Shepherd told me that he was fortunate to have such an intelligent, fearless soldier under his command, and I asked if he was really talking to me, or was he referring to someone on his end of the line, because so far I hadn't fit the description. (Well, perhaps the real Queen fit it, I wasn't sure.) Much to my surprise, Ghost, Price and MacTavish all laughed at my question. And then MacTavish informed me in between laughs that I was being promoted for my efforts during the favela, oilrig and gulag missions.
I was shocked. I actually think I stopped breathing for a moment there. Promoted? As in going up in rank? From Private to Private First Class? It didn't sound logical from my point of view. When I asked Shepherd (through gritted teeth) if this was some sort of joke, he simply said that it wasn't, that I should be proud of myself, and that I was officially a Private First Class.
Ghost and MacTavish patted me on the back and showered me with praise. Price dipped his head kindly at me, still glued to that lone stool nearby.
Although I was mildly happy, there was one thing that kept pushing its way to the front of my mind. A simple cluster of two short sentences was going to ruin my day, and also wipe away any remnants of being happy about a promotion. And through my barrier of a smile I forced onto my face, I didn't think Ghost, Price or MacTavish could see my guilt.
I don't deserve this I thought sadly.
Queen does.