𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐢𝐫|| 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘅 𝘆/𝗻 𝗹/𝗻

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗 - 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧...

"You are in-charge of 1 of the 35 planes we have in total. That's 10 skilled aircrewmen under your command. Boys who have yet to mature to a level wherein they finally see you as something more than... let's just say a dishwasher. Their words, not mine." The man explained. "Their lives depend on your orders and discipline; and to obey whatever you tell them, they need to look up to you first." He affirmed. "Yes, sir. I'm aware." Said the girl, surrendering her emotions to take a more practical approach. "With all due respect, Colonel, when you first recruited me, I was promised everything you just said; and I signed up after thorough analysis of the pros and cons."

Savoring a sip of scalding coffee, Huglin acknowledged her perspective. The abruptness of the decision felt unjust to all involved. Yet, he understood the paramount importance of preserving unity for the team's inaugural mission. Each member of the 100th was vested in its success —a fact he couldn't afford to overlook. "Colonel LeMay has us in his sights. He, as I'm sure you must've already noticed, isn't as open-minded as one would expect a man of his qualifications to be." The brunette said. "He's just itching to pull the trigger on the 100th Bomb Group, and allowing a lady to lead an entire squadron would simply offer him an opportunity to unleash his prejudice."

Collapsing into her seat, waves of frustration emanating from her very being, the girl struggled to articulate the myriad conflicts raging within. She begrudgingly conceded his argument, understanding full well the arduous path she chose by joining the Bomb Group. However, the bitter taste of overnight injustice was a burden she could scarcely bear. "I understand what hearing this on such a short notice must be like for you, Major. I really do. Yet, as the commanding officer, it falls upon me to ensure the mission's success, regardless of the challenging decisions I must make to achieve it." Huglin deadpanned.

"Besides, doc reported to me that you had fallen prey to a minor concussion yesterday? How's that treating you." He changed the topic. "Headache's better but still not gone. Nurse Linda said I was fit to fly provided I take all my medications on time — which I did, right after waking up." y/n informed. "I did vomit a little all night long, but doc said it was normal and that it will improve over the course of this week." She added. "Hmm, I see." He mumbled to himself, deep in thought. "I'll see what can be done with you. You are, after all, too precious to the team and can't be restricted to meaningless desk jobs when we already have more than capable people dealing with that for us."

A glimmer of hope ignited within her, her once dull y/e/c eyes brightening at his reassuring words. "Please join the rest of the crew for breakfast, Major l/n. I will have someone inform you if any adjustments are made." He mused. "Dismissed."

***

"Come on, Meatball, I'll see if I can get you any meatballs for breakfast today." Chuckled the girl, ruffling her furry companion's fluffy coat. After meeting with the Commanding Officer at 2 in the morning, she couldn't wait to just hop into bed and get some more sleep, until she realized that she couldn't, and that the guards were already scurrying around the entire base, waking up the crewmen. So, instead, she decided to march up to the ladies' quarters, which only comprised of the nurses and cooks. "Mornin' Aggie." She greeted the blonde, excusing herself as she went to the restroom to freshen up and take a cold shower to forget about the demotion.

As expected, it yielded no results, yet the biting chill of the icy winds against her drenched body provided a remarkably effective distraction. She then quickly got dressed before it was 3, and went to find Meatball to accompany her on her morning run. Her head was aching slightly more than before, but it was nothing a cup of coffee couldn't fix, she decided. By the time her run was over, she was bursting with energy, and since talking to the husky made her feel so much lighter, she was in a mood better than ever for the longest of time. When she saw the other men head towards the dining hall, she too decided to join them, along with the dog.