Agent Vermont ducked down behind a boulder as a bullet zipped by her head. The rest of her squad had a delayed reaction then scrambled for cover as well.
"D***it, Howard!" she shouted at their stocky scout. "You were supposed to be watching for them!"
"I was," the blue in EVA armor put his hands on his hips. "I told you I'm the best at my job. See, I'll prove it to ya." The big man poked his head out from their cover and narrowly evaded a bullet that pinged the boulder. He slouched back down and pointed over his shoulder, "They're right ova there."
"You mule-head!" the blues' other Howard, Moe, grabbed him by his chestplate. "Samadda with you? You coulda had your head taken off." That would be a blessing at this point.
"That has got to be the stupidest thing I've seen all week, Vee!" New Hampshire called over to her from a position she had yet to determine. "And that's sayin somethin. You oughtta know by now that Athos here is a crack-shot."
"Hey!" Fine, their final blue, yelled back. "Now that's not fair. You've got a sniper over there using drugs! I'd call that cheating."
"What in the...?" Vermont nearly had a stroke trying to follow his line of reasoning.
"I'll handle this, chief," Moe nodded to her. That doesn't inspire much confidence. "Now you listen here, rhino-head; my moronic friend doesn't know what he's talking about. So here's what I propose, either he gets disqualified from participating or he shares some of his shooting crack with us to make it a fair fight!"
"WHAT!?!?" New Hampshire yelled, his brain hemorrhage audible.
"You heard me!" Moe shouted back confidently then swat Fine on the arm. "Now THAT'S how you do a deal."
"You always was the brains, Moe," Fine said dejected.
"Can somebody please explain to me what the H**L IS GOING ON!?!?" Vermont snapped, this conversation bringing her the closest to her breaking point than she had her entire week there.
"Ease up, sister. I'm trying to get us a score. We can make a killin offa his stash," Moe jabbed her way, but she caught his hand and began to squeeze.
"Hey, watch it! He's got tender hands!" Curly Howard tried to intervene only for her to apply pressure to his trapezius, reducing him to the ground.
She glared at Fine and sneered, "Do you have anything to add?"
"Um, you think we'll be done with them by lunch?" Larry leaned away from her and fiddled with his hands. "I's got a doctor's appointment for my pink eye." Vermont threw Moe's hand at the rock and got to her feet.
"Just shoot when you get my signal," she ordered and left. But not fast enough to avoid hearing Fine ask if it would be a left or a right turn signal.
_____
"They sure have been back there a while," D'Artagnan noted and poked at the ground with his boot.
"Well of course they have," Athos stayed scoped in. "They've nowhere to go. I just feel sorry for the young mistress having to endure those lunatics."
"You and me both, pal," New Hampshire chimed in. "But, I let her pick first, so I don't feel too bad. Just be careful, she has a modified hologram unit that she has a habit of using as camouflage."
"A fellow gentleman, then," Aramis assumed, ignoring the comment regarding the opposing agent's equipment.
"I wouldn't go that far, but chivalry isn't exactly dead with him," Vermont said from behind them, sitting on a tree stump and letting her legs dangle.
"Oh, hey Vee," New Hampshire greeted her casually.
"Hey, Ham," she returned the gesture.
Athos looked over his shoulder and said, "Agent New Hampshire, good sir, it appears your cautionary advice has proven to be correct. Shall we engage?"
"I'd say give it a minute," Ham shrugged. "She's had a long week."
"Very well. A pleasure, Agent Vermont," he waved to her and resumed to his rifle.
"Quite the crafty one, aren't you, Agent Vermont?" Aramis crossed his arms. "You remind me so much of milady I've unfortunately been forced to leave at home."
"She has her moments," New Hampshire gave credit where credit is due and casually checked his AR.
"Lady Vermont, do you, by chance, intend to partake in combat with us today?" D'Artagnan asked.
"In a bit," she stood from the stump and stretched, but New Hampshire noticed the discrepancy in the grass. Clever girl he thought and turned towards Athos. "But I feel kinda bad. You guys are actually really nice. Ham, I hope you took notes. Sorry, Athos." Red team's sniper hadn't even finished asking "whatever for" when the hologram behind them fizzled out and the real Vermont materialized with a hand on the barrel of Athos's rifle.
New Hampshire rushed to engage as she thrust the marksman's rifle into his face twice, knocking him out, and firing it off in the air. "Crafty indeed," Aramis sounded impressed as New Hampshire trained on her to open fire, but then a hail of bullets whistled past them. New Hampshire went prone and dragged the unconscious Athos out of harm's way as Vermont tackled Aramis and used him as a shield agaisnt D'Artagnan, the only Red not in jeopardy from the blues' assault.
"I don't think so," New Hampshire huffed and hurled his rifle at her, striking her in the back and compromising her cover. He threw a grenade over his shoulder to delay her team and rushed her head-on. His fellow Freelancer shoved her meat shield at him and pounced on the confused red. By the time New Hampshire had straightened out Aramis and ordered him to further stall the Blues, Vermont had already taken down D'Artagnan. "That was kind of a d**k move, Vee."
"I said I was sorry," she shrugged and got into a stance.
"Cheap talk," he retorted, for some reason choosing now to try out one-liners.
"You've done better," Vermont critiqued him and charged. New Hampshire hardly had time to react and turned away from her and sent a haymaker in the space to his left. The hologram dissipated the second his fist made contact and sent Vermont straight to the ground.
"How did you know she'd do that, sir?" Aramis asked and barely ducked out of the way of an oncoming bullet.
"Like I said, she's made it a habit of using her hologram like that," he said and shook out his hand, thankful that his gamble paid off.
"You're an a**hole, Ham," Vermont whined, still unmoving on the ground. New Hampshire ambled over and squat down next to her.
"You wanna hear some good news?" he asked, still lording his victory over her.
"We're switching teams?" she still hadn't made an effort to stand.
"Better, Pelican's here for us."
"THANK- OW!!!" her head popped up, but she instantly dropped it down. New Hampshire offered to carry her, but she flipped him off for his troubles.
_____
"Hey, man, you good?" New Mexico asked Rhode Island when they reunited behind the pillar they called cover.
"Be better if you hit your shot on her," Rhode Island checked his paint shells and dared to peek the corner.
"I was getting shot at," New Mexico protested.
"She was in the open," Rhode Island retorted.
"Well at least I didn't try to shoot at a sniper with a shotgun," his friend snapped back.
"Touche," he conceded. "But f**k you anyway. What's the play?"
"Well, if Virginia stays true to herself, then..." he trailed off and they both rolled to the opposite side of the pillar, delivering them to the flank of a very shocked Virginia who had nearly gotten the drop on them.
"Like a d***n novel," Rhode Island gloated as both agents prepared to execute.
"Son of a b***h," Virginia gave an exasperated sigh before Rhode Island hipfired his shotgun, blasting her centre-mass and New Mexico scored a headshot with his pistol.
The two reloaded before New Mexico asked, "Should we be mean?"
"I didn't think it was a question," Rhode Island looked to the immobilized twin. New Mexico positioned himself behind her and pushed her forward to cover his advance on her sister.
"SERIOUSLY!?!?" West Virginia screamed and shot at them, striking her sister again who shouted more profanities. One of the shots connected, however, and planted New Mexico's foot to the ground, halting his assault. But it didn't matter. He peeked over Virginia's shoulder to see Rhode Island waste a shell to brandish his weapon behind the enemy sniper. "You're a d**k, Rhodie," he heard her hiss.
"I aim to please, West," he bowed with one hand and shot her in the face.
"Round: Over," F.I.L.S.S announced. "Victory goes to: Rhode Island and New Mexico."
"I'll get you for that," Virginia pointed a threatening finger at them as she and her sister left and the floor returned to normal. When the doors closed, the two friends began laughing hysterically. After calming down, they sat back and sighed, enjoying the silence for a moment.
"I've got a couple shells left," Rhode Island juggled his spares.
"Five mags," New Mexico reported. "F.I.L.S.S, could you...?"
"Round begins in..."
_____
Maryland stepped back from the shipment of jetpacks and admired her handiwork. She had spent the last half-hour painstakingly inspecting and labeling the latest batch for the three agents assigned to test them out. She took special interest in the one set aside for Georgia and smiled. If only the triplets were still here she let out a bittersweet sigh. It had been a week since Vermont and New Hampshire had been shipped off to assess a simulation trooper base and Rhode Island and New Mexico had been ordered to spend time training religiously in order to gauge New Mexico's recovery and to improve their scores or risk termination from the Project. Which left Maryland with just a few friends and her thoughts, the newfound freetime leaving her to her own devices. The silver lining for her was they were all planetside as the Mother of Invention rested for inspection and maintenance.
"Hey, Mary," Delaware called to her, Oklahoma by her side, and broke her concentration. "We're heading off-base to grab a bite before the ship's ready. Wanna come?"
"Oh, um, no thanks," she politely declined. "I'm waiting for everyone to get back and then we're going to go do stuff."
"Well fine then," her EOD friend scoffed. "Can I at least get a hug, Little Miss Shore Leave?"
"Of course!" Maryland exclaimed, reminding her of her limitless affection. "You two stay safe out there. I want to see you when we come home."
"You do the same," Delaware pat her shoulder. "I don't want to hear about D.C. having to come bail you guys out of jail. If I do, make sure it's a good story. " They laughed and Maryland watched them leave, once again leaving her alone. I should probably go see what Min is up to she thought. Just then, she heard the sound of a Pelican soaring in. Maryland perked up and rushed towards the landing pad.
In her excitement, she neglected to pay attention to her path and crashed into New Mexico, who knocked over Rhode Island as they fell. "Freddie!" She exclaimed and kissed the man through her helmet. "Is your training over?"
"Yeah," he grunted. "My sentence is served."
"I'm fine too, by the way," Rhode Island raised his hand from under them. "Thanks for asking." Maryland couldn't contain her joy. She grabbed New Mexico's hand and sprang up, dragging him to her destination. Vermont and New Hampshire hadn't even set foot on the pavement when she tackled them to the ground, or rather, tackled Vermont and stumbled New Hampshire and hurting her arm in the process.
"Not again," Vermont grumbled. "Hi, Mary."
"I'm so glad you're back," she allowed New Hampshire to lift her by the back of her armor into a standing position. "How was everyone?"
"Insufferable," Vermont rolled her eyes. "I don't think there was a single brain cell between those three."
"I can attest to that," New Hampshire raised his hand.
"It's probably because they're not used to combat, Vee," she tried to explain their behavior. "They used to be doctors before this, you know?"
"I hope to whatever higher power is out there that you're joking," Vermont said, but Maryland shook her head.
"Granted, they had their licenses revoked, but they still weren't soldiers by trade."
"Well my guys were pretty chill," New Hampshire shifted the conversation. "They knew how to fight and knew how to joke. My kinda people."
"And how was Aramis doing?" she inquired, recalling the personnel profiles she had read regarding the members of those teams. "His file said he's been out of it lately. Probably because he had to leave his wife behind."
"Beats me," New Hampshire shrugged. "Looked to be doing alright."
"That's good," she smiled. Suddenly, she remembered the other two that had followed her and immediately felt flustered for forgetting them until now. They had already walked back to the entrance of the base when she realized her lapse in awareness. "So, on a different note, why don't we grab drinks to celebrate our reunion and shore leave?"
"I'm down," New Hampshire relaxed and put his hands behind his head as he strolled. "I'm sure Vee could use a stiff drink."
"I've... never actually drank before," Vermont confessed with visible and audible embarrassment. The group halted and stared at her.
"Rhodie!" Maryland called, serious as a surgeon.
"Place right outside the base isn't too shabby," Rhode Island reported.
"Contacting Minnesota for recommendations," New Mexico looked aside and hopped on comms. Maryland nodded at their progress and shot a look at New Hampshire, who rolled his head.
"I'm not doing that," he protested.
"Doing what?" Vermont sounded justifiably concerned.
"She wants me to rush you into the base to get changed so we can leave now," he sighed. "Mary, ALL of us just got back. The bar's not going anywhere. I say we hit the showers first, then go." He's right Maryland felt herself get flustered again. In her excitement, she hadn't stopped to consider how exhausted everyone must have been.
"Fine," she stomped, maintaining her illusion of confidence and saw Minnesota approaching. "But picture first. Min!"
"On you, sister!" Minnesota waved over to her, pressing the side of his helmet and giving her a thumbs up. "Group up and lose those helmets!"
"Ooh! Let's stand in front of the bar!" Maryland suggested.
"Yas, girl," Minnesota agreed. The group quickly complied. Maryland grinned from ear-to-ear and wrapped her arms around everyone. "I'll send these out to y'all. Have fun!" Minnesota began to depart, but Maryland noticed him travelling in the wrong direction.
"Wait, where are you going?" Maryland asked, stopping her gossip post friend. "Aren't you on leave too?"
"I wish, bish," he sighed. "Besides, Mommy of Invention is making a stop by Celio."
"What's on Celio?" New Mexico asked and hugged her.
"Home," Minnesota and Maryland answered simultaneously. Minnesota continued, "I'm going back home to Delantro to see the wifey."
"WHAT!?!?!?" New Mexico blurted.
"Freddie," Maryland scolded him.
"You... you're..." New Mexico stammered. "You're from Delantro?"
"Mmhmm," he nodded with a hand on his hips.
"Huh."
"What's the matter?" Maryland looked up at him and noticed the flecks of paint on his face, resisting the urge to fret. I'll ask him later.
"Nothin'," New Mexico shrugged with a surprised expression. "With his accent, I just had him pegged as being from Provencinna." Minnesota waved a dismissive hand.
"Happens a lot," he said. "Wife's family's from there and everything just kinda stuck, y'know?"
"Well I'll be d****d," he put a hand on his hips. "Did you know about this?"
"I didn't think it was something you wanted to talk about," she shrugged.
"I still would've listened." Maryland heard Minnesota start to laugh.
"I'll leave before I have to start a couple's counseling for y'all," he waved to them one last time. "You crazy kids enjoy Reach."
Author's Note:
Here we are. Sorry for the shorter chapter. I had a lot more planned for this one, but then realized this chapter would be ridiculously long if I made it all one chapter, so you'll be seeing the rest in the next one. Another huge shoutout to Spartan-L058 and I definitely recommend you check them out. Also, thank all of you who have read this story so far. As always, feedback is always appreciated, stay safe, and I'll see y'all in the next one.
Trivia:
Caboose almost made an appearance in this chapter, but I figured that would be to easy of a copout. So I hope y'all enjoyed who y'all got instead.