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𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁 — 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚁𝚎𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗
𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴
𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦
𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳...
— ᵂⁱˡˡⁱᵃᵐ ˢʰᵃᵏᵉˢᵖᵉᵃʳᵉ
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THE CRUSHING WEIGHT OF HER INITIAL DEFEAT BECAME AN UNBEARABLE BURDEN FOR MAJOR L/N, tearing at her heart with relentless anguish, rendering her unable to withstand its devastating toll. 'Oh, Benjamin... Why couldn't you just fucking listen?' She screamed within, desolation echoing through the depths of her soul as she gazed upon the lifeless Bombardier, still bearing the defiant spirit of the living, his cold, dead eyes burning into her teary y/e/c ones with relentless intensity. 'Born an asshole, died an asshole.' She kept her eulogy short, not having much to say. It wasn't the man she felt pity for, but rather, his beautiful family.
Benji had it in for her ever since he first arrived barely a week ago, the commander of the 389th. Homophobic, racist, xenophobic, misogynist. You name it, he was it. Typical man of the pre-historic era. But for y/n, this was nothing unfamiliar. She had faced graver challenges and steeled herself to confront even more formidable ones. Death, an all too frequent companion in this noble pursuit, had visited them before, numerous times since their arrival nearly a month ago. Its presence failed to unsettle her as it should have. It was as though she had already witnessed the depths of despair, undeterred by the darkness that loomed in the future.
Nevertheless, she couldn't banish the insidious thought that lingered, a venomous notion that whispered, 'Perhaps if I were a man, things would've been different...' A bitter realization gnawed at her, suggesting that perhaps then, she would receive the reverence she rightfully deserved, empowering her to safeguard the lives she had pledged to protect. Yet, another part of her recognized the harsh truth — her biology wasn't the root issue. It was the entrenched, antiquated mentalities that pervaded. What value lay in any mindset, if not harnessed to champion a shared purpose?
In the crucible of war, there was only one imperative... saving lives and defending their nation. By aiding their allies in bringing this conflict to its conclusion where it began, they could diminish the prospects of a future invasion upon the United States of America. It was a mission of unparalleled gravity, one that demanded unwavering resolve and unconditional mental sacrifices to ensure the safety and security of their homeland. Such was the immutable truth acknowledged by all, an undeniable reality that had persisted throughout time and would endure into the future. "So why can't these morons just surrender their egos?!"
"Major l/n?" Spoke a voice, quivering with mild concern. "Oh- hello, Linda..." Sighed the girl awkwardly, her realization dawning as she found herself unintentionally vocalizing her inner musings, caught in the act of speaking to herself. "Is everything okay?" Asked the nurse timidly, approaching the body. "Ye-yeah, everything's fine. Just wanted to say goodbye." She replied, staring blankly at the fallen soldier. "Hell of a mission, huh?" Linda mumbled calmly, having an idea what the girl must be going through, for she had dealt with similar experiences. "Don't beat yourself up for it." She cooed, cleaning up after the body.
"Are they all like that? Rookies?" Questioned y/n bluntly, hoping she'd have better luck with the remaining of the 100th. "Just the ones with poor upbringing." She snapped, well aware of the downsides of being a woman in such a field. "If you're wondering what to tell your guys — don't say anything." Advised the ginger. "They'll figure it out eventually... They all do." She murmured, excusing herself to give the Major some more time to process the first death that occurred on a mission led by her. It nearly shattered her confidence. One failure, one mission; a relentless assault on her spirit, leaving her anxious and bereft.
John Egan, on the other hand, couldn't care less about the deceased. With all the experience a man could amass, he had become immune to such pain. So here he was instead, driving his jeep to the base; anticipating the reunion with his best friend after three agonizingly long weeks apart, excitement surged within him, eager to reconnect after enduring the vast expanse of time and space. He was worried for the girl, especially after hearing that the observation mission was anything but observational. Ambushed by the Krauts they were, the guns all jammed. He wanted to check up on her, but he was a few hours too late, and hungover too.
Last night was a rough one, but he was proud of his achievement nevertheless. He had won not one, but four bikes due to his unwavering faith in Tommy, a lad with great aim. One he gave to y/n, which she rode to the base before hopping into her plane. The other was a gift for Tommy, for it's the least he could do to thank the man for not blinding him the previous night. One he kept for himself, and the last he had saved for his faithful comrade — Major Gale Cleven. "Hey, Morris! Thanks for the bikes, mate-" He cried after the grumpy old man, who had to carry the planks all the way to Abbotts, rather than just using his bike. "I'll get ya next time."
As if on cue, the 7 crews began landing by the time the Air Exec had arrived; the first one being Cleven's, deboarded by a husky. "Demarco!" Called the raven, excited to see his friends. "Hey, Major!" Grinned the brunette, marching up to his pal with the dog by his side. "Where'd you get that dog, Benny?" Inquired the amused Major. "I won him at craps." Demarco replied, the husky contently wagging his tail. "You took this baby above 10,000 feet?" Chuckled the raven, ruffling his coat. "He's got a mask. It cost me three bucks, but boy- he loves to fly." Informed the brunette. "He wouldn't stop howling." Chimed in the familiar blonde.
"That's because he's part wolf!" Benny defended. "That wolf's part dog." Shrugged the Major, removing his shades, taking in a deep breath. "Got a name?" Bucky asked. "Meatball." Replied the two. "Welcome to the 100th, Meatball. Ducky's gonna love ya, chum." Chuckled the man, welcoming their pet, as Demarco led him to the lunchroom to settle. "You miss me?" Bucky then turned to his friend. "Like a stone in my shoe." Grinned Buck, shaking his hand. "How've you been getting on?" He asked his hungover friend. "Uh, half out equipment's yet to show up. Had to borrow masks and parachutes from the Brits." Informed the raven.
"Air Exec ought to take care of that." Scoffed the blonde jokingly, his eyes scanning around for a familiar y/h/c. "My opinion — they ought to can the guy." Bucky sighed, clearly unhappy with the lack of action in his line of the job. "Also, get used to the mud." He added, just as the blonde stepped into a patch. "Hey, listen- your uh, radio guy pick up any chatter from the 418th? We're missing Brady, and he's supposed to be with l/n." After a moment's thought, the Major finally answered, "Negative." The clouds were dense on their way to England, so they must've parted ways then. "Speaking of y/n... Where is she?" Buck then changed the topic.
"Probably at the hospital. Had a miserable mission." He replied. "Hospital- Is she okay?" The blonde's eyes widened with fear. "Yeah no, physically she's alright. Just... grieving her first loss, I guess." Sighed the raven, torn between the desire to check up on her and the understanding that she probably needed some space to process it all. "One loss in 13 missions? Not bad if you ask me," Gale murmured, her tone carrying a hint of awe. "Oh, she's great, Buck. 100% success rate; well, 97% now," Bucky replied, his voice tinged with genuine admiration for her daunting skillset.
"Oh, I got you a bike. We can go see how Duck's doing if you want." He smirked at his lovestruck friend. "I need a bike?" Ignoring the fluttering that spread across his chest the moment the idea of them meeting again was brought up, Buck asked instead, his heart yearning for the chance to see her once more, to gaze into her eyes and feel the warmth of her presence enveloping him. "Or it's a 20-minute walk from the quarters to the mess; and these things are sold out for weeks." Scoffed the man, walking to his vehicle. "I figure you'll buzz past a bunch of guys crawling through the rain on the way to dinner, then you'll come around and say ThAnK yOu, BuCkY."
"Don't count on it," teased the blonde, grateful for his friend's thoughtfulness. "So which way to the hospital, again?" he inquired, eager to meet his ex. But before the raven could answer, their attention was captured by the familiar drilling of another one of their planes. Waiting for it to draw closer for a clearer look, Bucky eventually concluded that it was indeed who the duo thought it was. "Well, there's Brady..." murmured the Major. "Looks like they're crashing; let's go check it out!" He hopped into his jeep excitedly, beckoning the blonde to join him. Not long after they took off after the jet, they were rattled by a groundbreaking thud, instilling a sense of urgency in their pursuit.
"GET THE FUCK OUT- RUN, WE NEED TO EVACUATE!" Cried the men, scurrying out of their fiery fort. The engineers and medics rushed towards the crash site, their hearts pounding with exigency as they moved to take control of the situation. Amidst the chaos and devastation, they worked tirelessly, striving to curb the disaster and save any lives that hung in the balance. "All clear." A worker declared after several minutes of thorough inspection. "Easy deal." Lemmons concluded, not too concerned by the aftermath for he'd seen worse earlier today. "Jack it up and hook it up." He instructed his team. "I'm on it- let's go, boys."
"Everyone okay?" Egan interrogated, letting his presence be known. "Ma'am, you really shouldn't stand in front of crashing planes, praying to the heavenly forces to make it stop." Sighed Thompson, as he wrangled the stunned lady away from the chaotic scene and towards the safety of the jeep. "But there was a dog." She simply shrugged, her eyes sparkling with newfound admiration for her furry companion. The man blinked harshly before glancing around incredulously. "A dog? Out of all the things to notice during a plane crash, you find a dog?"
Y/n nodded enthusiastically. "Yep, a fluffy little guy. He even has my pilot's hat on!" She grinned. The engineer scratched his head, momentarily dumbfounded. "Well, I guess it's better than praying to the airplane gods for a safe landing, right?" He shook his head, making the men in the vehicle chuckle softly, as the girl pet the dog affectionately. "Sounds about right, Snicket." Bucky remarked, quickly catching on. "Besides, who needs divine intervention when you've got Meatball here?" He added, introducing his friend to their latest member. Meanwhile, the blonde Major watched the exchange with an amused smirk, shaking his head.
"Only in our line of work, folks... Only in our line of work." He commented. "So, where's Brady?" The girl quickly changed the topic, her voice betraying no hint of the emotions churning within her, as she raised her guard higher than ever in the presence of her heartbreaker, masking the ache in her heart with a facade of nonchalance. "Brady, Major l/n here would like to have a word with you." The raven summoned him almost instantly. "Yes, Major." Sighed the man, striding over to her. "y/n l/n." She introduced herself, offering him a firm handshake. "John Brady. It's an honor to be a part of your crew, Major l/n." He spoke respectfully.
"Likewise, commander. But I must ask — how did you manage to lose the rest of the squadron?"
"We uh, we got separated in the clouds. And um, then we had some kind of electrical failure, so we spent an hour just trying to get the wheel down." Explained the brunette. "Well, you know what they say... There are two kinds of pilots: those who've had a wheels-up landing, and those who will." She gave him a reassuring smile. "Seeking cover in clouds is my field of expertise; I'll be sure to get you there." She declared with a tone of unwavering confidence, her words carrying the weight of undeniable assurance, instilling a sense of trust in her abilities to navigate through even the most treacherous of skies.
"Major!" The voice belonging to Lemmons cuts them short as he rushes up to the group, fear etched deeply into his usually composed face. His urgent tone echoes with a sense of impending danger, commanding attention and injecting a formidable gravity into the atmosphere. "What is it?" Asked the raven, plunging out of his seat, ready to confront whatever threat loomed at their doorstep. "It looks worse than it is." Panted the blonde. "There's uh, there's blood on the nose of the fort, and we don't know where it's from..." He mumbled, rather concerned for the team that just evacuated. "Oh, that would be me..." y/n raised her arm, chuckling awkwardly.
"The nose kinda high-fived in the head about a second before completely stopping."
(2.2k words)
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