They buried the cremated remains of their heavy assault and electronic comrades on a private military lot. Major Winters touched their headstones as Staff Sergeant Allyn looked over, leaning on crutches. The bullet wound did extensive damage but was certainly livable.
Winters sat down on the fresh grass between their burial areas.
“These were my men.” She said quietly. “Just like our demo guy, they gave their lives.”
“It’s a dangerous job, you know that. One day you’re here, training, the next – among the dead.” Allyn replied softly.
The sun was hidden by clouds, some birds trotted and tweeted at a nearby tree.
“I may have gotten my leg fixed, but, there’s nothing to replace my broken heart, Allyn.”
“We lost two of our own. The UTR Troopers lost dozens. They launched a huge offensive. We couldn’t call for help, we were fucked. War is always chaos, Winters.” Allyn tried to get down to sit next to Winters, wincing at the sharp pain in his hip and leg.
Sitting down next to her, he pulls her in and wraps his left arm around her. Setting down his crutches, he stretches out his legs on the grass next to her.
“What am I thankful for? For B-443. For General Mattock. If it wasn’t for them, someone would be burying us.” Allyn stated.
Winters let tears fall over her burning eyes as they dropped from her cheeks.
“I’m tired, Allyn. I’m really tired. But I am also angry. I’m angry. And I want blood.” She said.
Allyn patted her head, “I know. Me too.”
* * *
2 was packing his things at his bunk, and emptied his wall locker out, grunting through the pain from his wounds in the conflict against the Legion. He left the room, not looking behind him.
Moments before packing his things and his equipment, he turned in his resignation papers to General Mattock.
* * *
“What is this?” General Mattock said, flustered finding his reading glasses.
“My resignation sir. I have had close calls to death before, and this got closer. My partner, who I’ve known all my life. He knew he was dying, and I stayed with him as I saw him draw his last breath. I need to walk away from this while I still can.”
“I get it son, you’ve been dealing with a lot. But the Greywolves need you. I need you. This world needs heroes like you, these asshole Seventh Legion won’t be around for long.”
“I’m sorry sir.” He tossed his Greywolves patch onto the desk and saluted his General one last time.
General Mattock slowly saluted him, and allowed him to leave.
“Fuck….” General Mattock muttered after 2 left the office.
* * *
B-443 was in his wire harness, undergoing usual maintenance as Doctor Sterling tapped on his keyboard.
“I am certainly glad I got to them in time, Doctor. It was a horrible sight.” B stated.
“I heard. I think the Greywolves owe you their lives.” Sterling turned in his chair to face B-443 as the computer was analyzing his circuits.
B-443 nodded.
“No. They do not owe me. I owe them everything. I will ensure from here on forward, no more Greywolves die.” B-443 clenched it’s right hand together.
* * *
Staff Sergeant Allyn reported to the Medical Bay, as ordered by Doctor Lacon for another evaluation.
He barely spoke a word.
“How are the Greywolves?” she asked.
“We had one quit. I don’t blame him.” Allyn replied.
Doctor Lacon examined his leg and hip wound to make sure it was healing correctly. Doing a series of examinations to make sure he could walk normally, despite the damage to tissue. He winced but kept going with the physical examination.
“Anything I can do?” She asked.
“No. We just need to keep going.” He replied.
Doctor Lacon gave Allyn another dose of antibiotics, and gave him a small bottle of pills to help clear the infection.
“It needs more time to heal before you run off to play hero again. You’re not cleared for operation yet.” Doctor Lacon saw Staff Sergeant’s eyes roll as he sighed.
“That’s not what I needed to hear, Doc.” As he got up off the exam table.
“It’s exactly what you needed to hear. And, if you are up to it, I wanna take you out on a date. My treat. Coffee maybe?” She winked as she looked him over.
He grumbled. “Maybe I’ll let you. Maybe I’ll let you shove your opinion about my non-deployable status up your ass too.” He tossed the crutches onto the exam table and got up without it.
“Oohh, big cave man angry!” Lacon nagged.
“I’m off shift in three hours, I’ll come swing by your room.” She tapped her data pad and wrote down her observations and findings with her patient.
“I’ll be sure to not answer.” He replied as he was leaving the Medical Bay.
Lacon smiled, “You’ll answer, I’m sure.”
* * *
“I have never seen this kind of model before.” Agent Three stood next to General Keith. “Send those photos and the video surveillance to my data pad. I need to investigate this further.”
“You were the person I thought of to find an answer.” General Keith said.
“Give me some time. I’m sure it won’t be the last time we see him.”
* * *
Commander Tresten, beaten and battered, was in a holding cell. His eyes could barely open from the swelling, his bottom lip split at the middle. He sat on his bunk, no shirt, showing the scars of battle. He wore his Seventh Legion fatigue pants, speckled in his blood.
Major Winters past the security detachment and entered the holding area to look over at Commander Tresten.
He looked up, slowly.
“More beatings? Come. You’ll never get anything out of me.”
Major Winters raised a suppressed pistol and aimed it at Commander Tresten.
“Oh. An execution. Even better.”
Winters stood, listening to Tresten speak and babble.
“I lost men, thanks to you and your Legion’s perverted version of right. Of reason. We should have just shot you when we found you. You were never worth it. Not at all.”
She fired and a subsonic suppressed round left the barrel, stopping into Tresten’s chest. At the impact he fell onto his knees clutching his chest where the round passed through.
She fired again, and again. And again.
“That’s what I’m gonna do to your fucking Legion.” She said as she walked out of the holding cell area, passing the guard detail.
* * *
B-443 walked with the Greywolves, days had passed after the loss of their comrades, they were ready for their next operation. They gathered in the briefing room. Their data pads on their laps, the room was quiet. A lot of them were full of rage, and felt cornered by the Seventh Legion.
A cornered Wolf, is a dangerous one.
Still limping slightly, Staff Sergeant Allyn got the room to attention, as Major Winters walked up to the podium.
“Take your seats.” Even B-443 sat.
“We are needed again, and this time, we are going on the offensive. General Mattock is in the process of replacing our… lost members… which will take time. And we have our newest edition, B-443 who came to the rescue.”
B-443 stood at attention, “Honor to serve the Greywolves. My weapon systems are at your disposal.”
“Thank you B.” as the mechanical sounds of his salvos engaged, enabling him to sit back down.
“The Seventh Legion were not successful in taking the facility we defended, but they demolished it. Rendering it useless for both parties.” She pulled up a map on the big screen of current time of the location. “Before the UTR Troopers evacuated the facility, they purged everything – so the Seventh Legion recovered nothing valuable.” She clicked over a slide.
“I want to take this supply depot. Located here.” She marked it on the screen with her finger.
“This is their main supply junction in the jungle. This is what’s keeping their weapons loaded and food in their stomach. I want to fucking annihilate it.”
“They hurt our Wolves, and we’re gonna fucking bring the pain back to them. Every single Legion member will be a target. I want no one spared.”
“Any questions?”
9 stood up, the Medic. “When?”
“As soon as possible. Night, or day. Does not matter.” She answered and 9 sat down.
“We have an alibi, Major. Due to my injuries, I am non-deployable at this time.” Staff Sergeant Allyn.
“I spoke to Doctor Lacon, I had you cleared.”
Staff Sergeant looked shocked, “How did you manage to override a medical officer?”
* * *
Moments before the briefing, Major Winters talked to Doctor Lacon.
“I have him flagged, Major. I can’t have him re injure himself.”
“I need him. What’ll it take to clear him?” Major Winters asked.
“He skipped out on our coffee date.”
“Done. I’ll make sure he takes you out to a steak dinner, and it’ll be on his tab. How does that sound?” Major giggled and smirked. “He likes you, he’s just an ass. Stubborn.”
“I’ll clear his status now. Good luck Major. Bring that stubborn ass back to me.” Doctor Lacon laughed.
* * *
“We’ll talk offline, Allyn. Any other questions or alibis?” The room was silent.
“Stay within the area, prep your gear. Once I get the green light, I’ll notify you on your data watches for immediate departure. Dismissed.”
Story Time 