Sharp Shooter

Twenty Questions

"Hey guys", I said walking up.

"What's up Ren", Navi said turning her attention from the red dot to me.

"I just talked with Jace", I told her, "he said we have all new equipment waiting for us at the armory, new uniforms, vests, boots and secondary's and sidearms for the Anthro's."

"We all have sidearms already", Sorra said tilting her head.

"John lost a box of 9mm handguns", Raji laughed, "Jace said you guys get them."

Sorra laughed and set down her sketchbook, "good thing I like 9 millimeters."

"What about the Ferals?", Val asked dangling his head over the side of the hangar, "what do we get new?"

"I don't know", I replied, "we'll just have to head there and find out."

"All right", Ivan said, "I'll bite."

"I'm game", Val said.

Navi and Sorra agreed too. We left the barracks and walked across the hot sand to the armory. Once inside, the armory master showed us our larger armory cell. I swiped my card to unlock the chain link gate. When I pulled open my box, there was a set of brand new Multicam fatigues resting inside. The jacket was short sleeved and already had my new rank sewn into it. My name was stitched into the collar along with my blood type. On the flaps to the front pockets was my name again, and then the words "Project Fireblood". The knee and elbow pads were jet black and so were the boots. The plate carrier had been set up already so that the magazines for my Dragonov sat higher on my chest than the mags for my new M27. The grenade and Nine bang pouches had been relocated to a pouch on the belt and the scaled down Fireblood knife was just in front of the grenades. I had new gloves, a new helmet that had night vision attachment points, a new radio, everything was brand new. The chrome plated 9mm Colt was on my gun rack next to the Python. As I slipped everything on and grabbed the Dragonov, my M4 and the new Colt, I made a mental note to take the python to the barracks and put it in my duffel. Sorra and Syren also had desert tan Styer AUG's with long rails and red dots as well as Magpul 30 round P-Mags in them.

"I like this new cammo", Val said as he shook his front leg, "last time I saw Multicam I was in my 20's."

"It doesn't mix well with red", Navi sighed.

"Doesn't matter anyway", Sorra said strapping on her helmet, "with what we'll be doing, we won't need to blend in."

Uncle Tommy smiled, "ain't that the truth."

"Everyone got everything?", I asked.

"Yep", Raji said.

"let's hit the course then", I said.

We walked from the armory across the grounds and to the shooting course, also known as the pit. There was a pile of recruits out front, looking tired and rundown. Sterling was standing in a small bunker made of bullet proof glass, a shipping container and sandbags.

"Hey Sterling", I greeted him.

'Yes Specialist?", Sterling asked.

I smiled, "actually it's Sargent now, Jace gave me a bump."

"A hell of a bump", Sterling said, "so what you need Sargent?"

"Wanted to know if I could use the course", I said, "wanna give some new equipment a run around before tomorrow."

"If you wanna use the course you'll have to get in line", Sterling smiled.

I smiled at him and left the bunker, going out to meet my team.