Kai took off his mask when he got in the truck, he was in a country at war after all wearing a mask caused suspicion and it didn't help that he was Japanese. He might even be shot on-site walking into a military recruiter's office with a mask.
The hot sun battered Kai who took shade with the hood covering the bed of the truck. The deserts of Iran and Iraq were very unique since quirks were discovered the desert experiences all times of the year summer, spring, fall, and winter. It was currently fall but it was still sunny with little wind, a horrible blend for a war.
'What will they do with me? Will I be a normal infantryman? A sniper? Special ops? No, probably a mix of all of those. Three weeks and 135,000 dead on Iran's side who knows how many in Iraq. I guess we'll see if I make it back.'
The truck had just left the city as the sound of explosions in the distance got louder. Kai closed his eyes and dozed off. It would take an hour to reach his destination.
The sound of chatter woke Kai up as he found himself in a small city of sorts but filled with all sorts of older and younger people.
'Recruiting and training.'
The truck came to a halt and Kai hopped out throwing his bag over his shoulder. Kai started to walk towards the main office when he saw four teenagers, probably 17 to 18.
"Milad! Milad!" One of the boys called.
"Milad! Well?"
"So?"
"Mhm." Milad hummed.
"Well then?"
"I don't know," Milad shrugged his shoulders.
"Does she know we're all going?"
"Yes of course," Milad said walking away.
"Staying at home? My god you're tied to your mother's apron strings!"
Milad turned around and stared at one of his friends.
"Give it to me, I'll scribble something."
'Nobody signed his forms. Interesting,'
"It has to be signed by his parents."
"Well, someone. Come on. Pass it here."
"That won't work, they'll find out."
"How will they? Well? Is his mother a pen pal of theirs?"
"Give me your pen," Milad said to one of his friends.
"I'm sorry I don't got it."
"Rasoul, give me your pen," Milad said to the friend who didn't agree with the forgery.
"You can't. Your father will hit you," Rasoul said.
"Have you got a better idea? I'm not getting left behind." Milad said.
'A runaway looking for glory in a war. Storybook.'
Rasoul took out his pen and gave it to Milad slowly.
Milad was about to sign it then he hesitated and turned Rasoul around and used his back for a solid surface to write on.
"Congratulations, Private Sadiq. We're going to the front."
"A dead man walking," Milad said.
Kai followed the four into the building. There was a circle stairwell to the top and at every step a body was there.
'A lot more recruits than I anticipated.'
Kai leaned against the wall next to the stairwell.
"Remember this moment!" A voice that sounded like it came from the middle floor yelled out. "It is a great moment! For in years to come, you will be judged based on what you dared to become today! The Iron Youth of Iran. My friends, we are fortunate to be alive at a great time. Your deeds will be the water nourishing the growth of a strong and noble route. Stand still and listen up, Persians! The Supreme Leader needs soldiers, not children. I am certain that I will see most of you again soon, here at home. Your sword returned to its scabbard with honor and respect. The symbol of land and sun proudly displayed upon your chest. However, take heed of this. In the darkest of hours, let me assure you that it will happen, that prior to an attack, you will harbor doubts. But this is not the time to concede to any mental weakness. Any unsteadiness, any hesitation, is a betrayal of the Aryanland! For modern war is like a game of chest. It is never about an individual soldier. Our only care is for the entirety of the body. You have a chance to earn the right to wear the uniforms you've been given. And by going to the frontline in Parviz, we'll pierce the enemy. And then you will, in a few short weeks, finally march on Baghdad!"
Every soldier screamed "Yeah!"
"Our future! The future of Iran lies in the hands of its greatest generation. My friends, that is you, you see! Therefore, off to the camps for the Supreme Leader, Allah, and the Aryanland!"
The room erupted into cheers and celebration.
'Manipulation at its finest.'
The soldiers were ordered to grab their uniforms and were directed into five separate lines and given a white shirt and shorts.
'This outfit would win in some fashion shows.'
The line kept moving up until it was Kai's turn.
"Next." A recruiter ordered sitting at his desk. "Hisoka Kai. Saberin Battalion. Born..." The recruit seemed to read Kai's birthday over again. "Born April 17, 2008. Correct?"
Kai nodded his head.
The recruiter took a breath. He grabbed Kai's uniform, placed it on the desk and grabbed another but this time it was all black.
"You can be proud." The recruiter said.
'Nothing to be proud about.'
Kai grabbed it and started to walk away when a teenager ran by him to the recruiter.
"It already belongs to someone." The teenager said.
'Milad.'
"Ah, yes. It was probably too small for the fellow. Happens all the time." The recruiter ripped off the name tag and dropped it on the ground. "It's all yours."
"Thank you," Milad said.
Kai's eyes followed the nametag he saw about thirty or so name tags on the ground.
'They're reusing uniforms. Supply is short. Good to know.'
Kai went into the next room and changed into his uniform. Everyone who had received their uniform was there changing.
"Hm"
There were two flags on his uniform: Japan and Iran.
Kai put on his uniform but this time he put on his mask and anti-sand ski goggles.
'This ballistic armor is actually kinda light.'
" Oh, Rasoul, will you be snatching away the ladies from us now?"
Kai heard some familiar voices behind him.
"Yeah," Rasoul said with a smile.
"My concern is that you don't shoot us." One of the teenagers said.
A couple of them started singing songs so Kai left the room.
About thirty minutes later Kai and the rest of the battalion were marching to the front.
"Have a cup of tea, sugar and coffee! And a glass of milk! And a glass of milk! Girl I do love you! But I can't marry you yet! Wait another year and it will come true!"
Kai ignored the soldiers singing.
About an hour later military transports came for the battalion, everyone was split into squads. Kai was put into a truck with Milad, Rasoul, and their other two friends whom he didn't know the name of. A lieutenant was going around and inspecting everyone's rifle making sure it was clean. The lieutenant went through each rifle and he got to Milad's group.
"Your name?" The lieutenant asked the teenager who was always making jokes.
"Taghi. Taghi Sayyadi, sir."
"Do you like dirty women Sayyadi?"
Sayyadi looked confused and looked at everyone else for an answer.
"Do you like dirty women?" The lieutenant repeated.
"Uh, no sir I don't."
"So why do you sleep with one?" The lieutenant asked, looking at Taghi's rifle. "Report for guard duty at three o'clock." The lieutenant threw the rifle at Taghi.
"Gentleman, you'll be fighting in a god-forsaken shithole. And you'll do so kindly with a clean G3 rifle. You will pamper it. You will love it. And damn it, you'll keep it as immaculate as Anahita."
The lieutenant got to Kai.
"Why don't you have a rifle? Did you get lost grabbing yours? It seems we have our first death."
"Uh...No..." Kai said, anxious.
Kai scrambled for his bag, pulled out a bunch of gun parts and sprawled them out on the truck bed. Kai assembled his weapons in about three minutes, the lieutenant watched in silence.
"Oh... you're a hire. You seem young. Too young. Hand me one of your rifles."
Kai handed him one of his snipers.
"MacMillian Tac-50 with a suppressor. It looks spotless."
The lieutenant picked up the other sniper.
"Barrett M82A1. Who do you have to know to get two of the most powerful snipers in the world?"
"I don't know," Kai said. "It was what I was supplied with in Japan."
"I didn't mean that literally."
The lieutenant picked up the final rifle.
"Howa Type-20. One from your home country?"
Kai shook his head yes.
"They're all spotless."
The lieutenant walked to the back of the truck and looked out the flap.
"Welcome to the Saberin Battalion. We are now on the front."
"Welcome to Baghdad!" The men yelled in the trucks.
Kai dismantled his weapons and put them back in his bag.
The truck drove for a while until Kai noticed chatter coming from somewhere and the truck turned and came to a halt.
"Damn it, what happened?" The lieutenant complained opening the flap so he could see. A doctor ran over to the truck.
"I have orders to hand over the company to the front by 6:00 p.m."
"That you may but on foot. You must give us the truck's lieutenant."
"With all due respect, I have orders–"
"Take the orders and stick them up your ass. I have 40 men here who are dying in the sand. Get out right now will you?"
"Get out everyone!" The lieutenant yelled after thinking for a moment.
Kai hopped out of the truck and saw bleeding bodies and men groaning in pain.
'Reminds me of when the professor would make me do experiments with prisoners with injuries and poisons until I knew how to cure them.'
"Come on! You heard the staff surgeon."
The battalion marched but this time they were sluggish and with much less enthusiasm.
"Faster, soldiers. Don't fall asleep here. Keep moving."
The lieutenant walked towards the back and started to talk to the only friend of Milad's group that Kai didn't know the name of.
"Vahid Blourian correct?"
"Yes."
"The supreme army command expects you to survive for six weeks of being here. Would you like that in six weeks, to still be alive?"
"Yes sir."
"Then walk faster and stop dragging your feet like you would do at home! Do you understand?!"
"Yes."
"Hurry up. We're not at a tea party here."
An explosion blew up right beside the soldiers and everyone scattered to the ground.
"Gas!" The lieutenant yelled.
"Gas!" The soldiers yelled.
Kai grabbed his mask and moved it around his neck, he grabbed his gas mask putting it on. The mask started to fog up a little and each breath sounded like he was hooked up to a hospital machine.
"Gas masks on!"
"That, gentleman, was a fat cow. If the Iraqis could aim better you could scrape us all off the road and bury us in a saucepan. But one thing that's as certain as going to Najaf for pilgrimage. Fat cows don't carry gas. Eyes straight ahead."
The lieutenant noticed Milad just now putting on his gas mask and walked over to him standing right in front of him.
"Are you deaf?"
"No sir. I was just trying to put my mask on."
The lieutenant stared at Milad.
"Milad Panahi, you will almost certainly be dead by dawn. You should eat something."
"Attention gas masks off!"
"Gas masks off!"
"Not you." The lieutenant said to Milad. "You keep yours on until guard duty tonight. Both you and that useless cow."
'Oh Rasoul had trouble putting his on and Milad helped him. Selflessness is usually a good trait unless you are at war.'
"Fall in line. March."
"Fall in line!"
"Stay together and keep moving! Come on hurry up!"
"Go!"
Kai marched with the battalion for a few hours and right when they saw the trenches it started to rain.
'Rain in the desert. Some weird oxymoron.'
Kai hopped into the trench as gunfire and explosions rang out all around him.
"Come on. Milad, give me your knapsack. Next time you carry mine." Vahid ordered.
Milad pushed Vahid away.
Kai was right behind Milad who still had on his mask.
Wounded soldiers helped by others ran by them seeking medical care as the trench filled up with water making it hard to walk.
"Congratulations, soldiers. This is your new home now. Helmets off."
Kai took off his helmet revealing his black hair.
"I see the men have been enjoying themselves in my absence, Meysam."
"We were under barrage all night. The men are a mess."
"I think dry boots would be a good place to start."
Meysam shook his head.
"Oh you'd rather we all drown then? Everyone pitch in! Come on, bail out the trench."
"Get in line! Bail out the trench."
The lieutenant walked past Milad and took off my gas mask.
"What are you waiting for Panahi?"
Milad took a deep breath after it was removed and let the rain hit him.
"Why are you still loitering here? Go help bail out the trenches."
Kai, who didn't know where to start getting rid of the water and wet sand, stood behind Milad.
"Throw a dog a piece of meat." An older soldier behind the two of them said while smoking a cigarette.
"Come on! All of you!" The lieutenant yelled down the trench.
"It will always snap it up. Give a man power...Man is a beast. Drink."
The older soldier gave Milad a flask of water.
"Diba, come over here. Give us a hand."
Diba looked at the sky and looked around.
"It'll be worse tonight."
Kai followed Diba and where Diba was all of Miad's group was there scooping sand and water out with their helmet.
"Sorry," Rasoul said when Milad arrived.
"Forget it."
"Somehow, this isn't how I imagined it."
'It'll only get worse. We haven't even fought a real battle yet.'
"Just shut up Rasoul."
"My hands. I can't feel them anymore."
"Stick them down in your underwear," Diba said.
"It always works for me."
All of Milad's group did that.
"Why aren't you doing it?"
Kai looked up as Taghi was looking at him followed by the group.
"I don't know. They just aren't."
"Are you Iranian? You have two flags on your uniform?"
"No, I'm Japanese."
"Why are you here then? Isn't your country really far away?"
"Yeah. It's far."
"So?"
"I'm here because I was ordered to."
"We were all ordered here too. I meant like why did you come here."
"I was ordered to be here by my..."
Kai didn't know what to call the professor.
"Parental Guardian."
"Hm?"
"The person who has to watch over me until I turn 20."
"Oh."
After they got their answer the group started to talk with each other and Kai stayed quiet as it got darker and colder out.
Eventually, they got enough water and sand out of the trench.
"Call it a night!"
Kai dragged his tired body and found a carved-out place to sit in the trench and climbed onto it. It was nice to have dry boots.
I got an idea of how this story is going to go now.
End of Chapter 2.