An Adventure of a Lifetime (Nonbinary Version)

Battle of Bunker Hill

Trigger warning: war

There is no violence in this chapter, however. Just the concept.

I was awoken to the sound of a loud bugle and someone shaking me.

"Up, Y/N! The general is calling an emergency meeting!" Alexander said to me, frantically.

We hurried outside to join everyone else. George Washington stood on a small stage and was loudly shouting to the crowd.

"British Admiral Howe's got troops on the water!" He said. "32,000 troops in New York Harbor!"

My eyes widened. 32,000 troops in New York Harbor?!

"They are surrounding our troops as we currently speak. We must head over there now!" he sounded distraught.

Our group headed back to our tent, and we gathered our weapons.

If they tell my story, I am either gonna die on the battlefield in glory or...

Right before we exited, I turned to everyone and stuck my hand out. "Hey, rise up."

They stuck their hand in, and we repeated, "Rise up!"

We hopped on the horses that were provided for us - I learned to ride when I was younger - and made our way to the city.

We will fight for this land, but there's only one man who can give us a command so we can rise up. Do these people understand, it's the only way to rise up?

When we finally approached the city, we caught a glimpse of the ongoing battle.

"We are outgunned," Alex whispered.

"Outmanned," John said.

"Outnumbered," Hercules said.

"Outplanned," Laf said.

Gunshots could be heard in the distance.

I just now realized we don't have all the men we were supposed to have, as they were supposed to arrive by tomorrow.

I turned to them and slapped my fist on my other open palm, "We got to make an all-out stand."

They nodded.

I looked over to General Washington, who was sweating buckets.

He's in command all alone. This battle was such short notice that he didn't have time to acquire a right-hand man. The model of a modern major general. The venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all lining up to put him on a pedestal. No wonder he is under so much stress.

BOOM

A British cannon.

A few young soldiers jumped off their horses and ran away.

Our hope of success is fleeting.

How is Washington supposed to lead when the people he's leading keep retreating?!

Washington gives the command to ride into the city, and we head into an abandoned building. He discusses his made-up-on-the-spot plan, and we carry it out. We put a stop to the bleeding in the city but aren't fast enough as the British take Brooklyn.

Knight takes rook.

We follow them, and once again, we find ourselves outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, and out-planned.

Cannons and gunshots go off in the distance again.

"INCOMING!" A soldier screamed as a cannonball barreled down into a building next to ours.

"They're battering down the Battery; go check the damages!" Washington orders us.

Explosions.

"We're not doing any countering!" I shouted at the general angrily. "We've got to stop them and rob them of their advantages!"

The loud noise is deafening.

"Obey my command, or I will send you home, Y/N," Washington said directly to me.

I huffed, and we exited the building. I turned to my guys and smirked. We huddled. "Let's take a stand with the stamina God has granted us!"

"Hamilton won't abandon ship!" Alexander said in third person.

"Yo, let's steal their cannons!" John and Herc said in unison as they looked at each other.

We ran and ducked behind walls, dragging the heavy black cannons away into cleared-out buildings. I was about to race out to grab another before someone yanked me back by my uniform from behind.

"Shhh," Laf hissed.

A group of British soldiers ran down the street. We waited for a moment for them to turn around the corner. When they did, we made our move.

Shh-BOOM

I watched as a cannonball exploded into the city. Blood and debris could be seen everywhere.

Shh-BOOM

We were able to snag a few cannons, but it was too much to manage. All of our soldiers abandoned Kips Bay.

BOOM

There goes another ship! And—

BOOM

We just lost the Southern tip!

BOOM

"We've got to run to Harlem quick! We can't afford another slip." Washington led our retreat.

We grabbed our guns and horses and giddy-upped. Washington decided to divvy up his forces into smaller groups. I watched as many young men became skittish as they watched the British cut the city up from the top of a large hill.

More men dropped their guns and walked away.

I see George Washington's face fall.

He is this close to giving up! How are we supposed to face this mad scrutiny with no soldiers?

I watch him scream in the face of mass mutiny.

Are these the men with which he is to defend America?

We ride at midnight, Manhattan in the distance.

The British army is too powerful! Our forces cannot be everywhere at once, people!

I let out an exasperated sigh. I can tell Washington is in dire need of assistance. I feel bad I raged against the guy just a few days ago. All in all, he was just trying to protect me. But I was right; we really will need every soldier we can get our hands on.