#our power went out for a few secs yesterday and the wind kept making our windows clatter very loudly this week

[ednaeflowers]

to those who know about the insane wildfires going on right now in c.alifornia, i am safe !

[iidascalves]

First Patrol part 3 (Hawks x reader)

Hello again! Thanks for reading. I might take a short break from writing other parts of this series in order to work on a couple other pieces I have planned :) Thanks for the support and don’t be shy to send asks or requests! 

tags: @blue-peach14​ 

Part 1 is here  , part 2 is here

========================================================

You fidgeted with the sleeves of your hero costume as you walked to Endeavor’s agency. Your chest got tighter the closer you got to the street the agency was on. You crossed the street to see Hawks under the awning of the agency sitting on a bench. He held a phone up to his ear, his thick eyebrows furrowed. You decided to wait for him to be done with the call so you stood next to a bench residing on the other side of the doorway. While listening to the sounds of traffic and the city at night, you picked up on bits of his conversation. “I really can’t do this tonight..” His hand combed through his hair in an effort to soothe his worry. “Yeah, I have someone but they’re not my usual kid….. Why do I have to get them involved too?” As he complained into the phone, his other hand went through the motions of an argument. His fist clenched and unclenched and raised and dropped with each complaint and question. After a few minutes the call ended. “Duh, I’m not happy about this. Your intel better be solid… That’s rich coming from you….. Whatever, bye.” His shoulders dropped and his hand holding his phone fell into his lap. You let him take a few breaths to calm down before you said anything.

“Hey. Is everything ok?” You began to walk towards him. Hawks’s head turned in your direction.

“Uhh, yeah. Just a change of plans for tonight. I hate to do this without Tokoyami but he’s too far to help right now.” Hawks sighed.

“Isn’t he visiting family in Osaka?” Hawks nodded. “What’s going on?” Hawks sighed again and motioned for you to follow him. He stood on the street corner and turned back to you.

“We gotta go somewhere quiet. Top of a building will do. You can fly, right?” You took a second to think before nodding.

“I can’t fly per se, but I use a platform I can move around in the air on. I could make it to the top of a building as long as there isn’t any crazy wind and my platform is stable.” Hawks smiled and nodded.

“Finally. A break from carrying my sidekick everywhere.” You smiled back at Hawks. “If you fall or feel unstable, just yell and I’ll catch you.”

You nodded as Hawks stretched out his wings. You manifested a board and stepped on, ready to follow.

“Ok, let’s go!” Hawks jumped up and his wings propelled him into the air with a powerful gust. In the wake of the gust you lifted yourself off the ground and kept your eyes on him. The cold air bit at your exposed hands as you picked up speed in order to not lose Hawks. He made left turn towards a large office building roof. He landed gracefully on the edge of the building and waited for you. Your platform carried you to the roof and you stepped off to stand next to him.

“Nice going, kid! Gotta take you flying more.” He beamed a warm and excited smile at you as he raised his hand for a high-five. Your cold hand made an impact on his glove-clad hand. You could feel his hard, calloused palms through the fine leather.

With a small flap of his wings, he lowered himself to a sitting position on the edge. “Good thing you’re not scared of heights.” He laughed and held a hand up to you. “Sit. I have to tell you about our assignment tonight.”

You took his hand and he helped you sit yourself down. You two were really high up. Birds lined the other office buildings and department stores surrounding you. Signs for companies and products warded off the bleak darkness of the night, shining seemingly brighter than the few stars that hung in the sky. You swung your feet, making your heels bounce softly off the building edge below you as you looked across the horizon.

“What do you mean by assignment?” You saw the worry seep back into Hawks’s face. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

“That call was from Endeavor. I’m supposed to do a bust with Tokoyami next week but our inside guy says we have to move tonight. The facility we’re going into… it could be really dangerous. We aren’t sure exactly what they’re doing there but the organization seems to be human trafficking people with quirks. Our guy says someone was snagged yesterday and is to be transported out by nine.” Hawks met your troubled eyes. “We’re going in at eight. There shouldn’t be that many members. This seems to be one of the smaller warehouses but we still need to be careful. Our guy hasn’t gotten enough clearance or trust within the organization to really know what’s going on.” Hawks held your gaze with concerned eyes. “You don’t have to come with me. Endeavor will be there with one of his sidekicks so we could probably handle it.”

“No. I’m coming.” Hawks noticed your features harden with intensity and determination. “It’ll be fine.” Hawks swallowed the small lump that had formed in his throat.

“Better be. Mirko would kill me if anything happened to you.” You chuckled and checked your watch.

“It’s 7:40. How far away is the warehouse?” Hawks rose to his feet.

“About 15 minutes away. We can fly there.” He expanded his wings peered over at you. You held out your hand to manifest a platform but Hawks interrupted. “Wait, kid. I’ll fly us over. If you exhaust your quirk from flying and can’t fight you might get hurt.”

You felt your face get warm. You tried to push your embarrassment aside but there’s no denying that Hawks noticed. He chuckled.

“Kid, it’s not that bad. It’ll be over before you know it.” He walked towards you and crouched behind where you were sitting. “I’ll hold onto you from behind. You just enjoy the ride.” Despite the awkwardness of the situation, something about Hawks really put you at ease.

“Okay.” You smiled. “I hope it’s a smooth ride.” You held your smile and glanced back at him. He returned your smile as he chuckled and shook his head.

“No promises.” He smirked at you and motioned for you to face forward. “Lift your arms for a sec. Good.” Your face heated up as his arms slid across your torso to hold you comfortably around your waist. He was careful not to touch your chest as he adjusted his grasp so that he had a more secure hold across your ribs. “Comfortable?” You felt his breath beside your ear. You didn’t trust your voice not to squeak so you answered him in a nod instead.  “Good. Now Give me a countdown.”

“A countdown?”

“Yeah. A countdown from five will do.” You could practically hear the cocky smile in his voice.

“Okay.. five, four,” The shifting of feathers could be heard as Hawks expanded his wings. “three,” His grasp on you strengthened. “two…” The motion of your body being pulled upward and wind suddenly surrounding you caused a small shriek to escape your mouth. Your hands clasped onto Hawks’s forearms where he held you across your torso. You gripped his arms for any sense of safety or comfort. “You didn’t let me get to one!” You shouted at him through the wind that noisily surrounded you both.

“Oh? I didn’t?” You could hear his cocky smile in his voice. “Makes for a better takeoff though, don’t you think?”

You didn’t know how to respond. Your grip on his arms only tightened when you saw the tops of houses and trees quickly pass under you. Hawks could sense your tension. He noticed how your hands clasped desperately to his arms and you faced the ground, definitely looking at the rooftops that were now meters away. He held you closer to his chest in an effort to comfort you. Your hands still grasped onto his arms, but he no longer felt your heart pound in your chest. Your head started to tip upward towards the open sky ahead.

��———————————————————————

“Thanks for choosing to fly with Hawks! I hope you fly with us again soon!” He flapped his wings and provided a soft landing while placing you on the ground in front of him. His arms lingered around you for a second before he let go. “You okay, kid?” He paced around you until you faced each other.

“Yeah!” You nodded and smiled. “Flying with you is much more fun than trying to balance on a platform in midair.” You both chuckled. Hawks took out his phone while still smiling.

“Endeavor will be here soon with Burnin. If you want to back out one would blame you.” Hawks looked at you with a sincere look in his eyes.

“Thanks, but I’m not missing out on this. It’ll be fine. I can handle it.” The worry started to leave Hawks’s face once you expressed your confidence. “Besides, I’ll just be backup for you pros.” You smiled to reassure him. His spunk began to return.

“The warehouse is a block away. Once Endeavor shows up we’re going in.” You nodded. Just then, a warm light illuminated the alley you two resided in. Endeavor rounded the corner with his sidekick Burnin in tow. Hawks faced them and put a hand on your back. “Burnin, this is my sidekick for the night (h/n).” You waved to the flame haired girl who gave an enthusiastic wave and smile back.

“You’re Mirko’s intern, right? I saw you on the news the other day. Glad to have you helping us tonight!” You smiled back at her.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity.” You gave a small bow.

“Let’s head in. It’s nearly eight.” Endeavor walked to Hawks. “We’ll split up. Burnin and I will go through the back door on the first floor and Hawks and (h/n) will go through the roof entrance.” His arms remained crossed as he briefed all of you. You were surprised he remembered your name. Just a few days ago he was calling you ‘Shouto’s classmate’. You all nodded in response and began walking out of the alley. The four of you rounded the corner and stopped below a lamppost. “We need to be in and out with as little disruption as possible. We’re not aware of everything that’s going on in there so do not be hesitant to call for backup.” He looked at you as he said the last sentence. He dug in his pocket and pulled out four earpieces. He held out his hand in the center of your little cluster. You each took one and placed them in your ears.

“Remember to be careful and keep an eye out for the missing person. Notify me when they’re found. Good luck.” With that, Endeavor and Burnin crept towards the back door.

“You okay, kid?” Hawks placed his hand on your back again.

“Yeah, I’m fine Hawks. Should we fly up?” His hand lingered while you responded and asked your question. He gave you a pat before speaking.

“Let’s go.” In unison you both flew into the air and landed on the dusty roof of the compound several stories up. “Try to stay quiet. We don’t know what quirks the people in there have. Surprise is the best attack strategy at the moment.” You crept up to the roof entrance door and waited for Endeavor’s cue. Seconds later his voice rang through the earpieces.

“Attention. Be careful and vigilant. Make your entry now.” Hawks put a hand to his ear.

“Copy.” He looked back at you while having a hand on the doorknob. “Stay close.” He whispered before turning to the door and quietly opening it. You descended down dark stars after Hawks, unsure of what lay waiting on the warehouse floors below.

[nacchiisai]

02 - The Introduction

Mahiru couldn’t even sleep that night.

 Three days before, Tsuyuki-senpai sent an emergency letter to him, telling Tsubaki’s whereabouts (or presumed as his location, he said), and some sort of mission to find him. Of course, he quickly contacted the others and do the mission.

 No one told him that they’ll be attacked by some sort of delinquents group.

 The first time Mahiru noticed were their eyes. They were bright red, just like vampire’s, despite the fact that the presumably their leader said that they were humans. But still, no ordinary human could disappear like that.

 They seemed young, one boy even seems in elementary schooler age. He couldn’t understand why such a boy would dare pointed a gun to Misono’s head (and no, that’s not because of his height).

 And more worse, Kuro and the leader almost killed each other.

 What are they exactly? Subclasses? Mages? Or another unknown supernatural creatures?

 Still, there are too many things Mahiru couldn’t understand.

 It’s already difficult enough, dealing with mystical creatures like the black cat who slept on his shoulder now, and last night, he found another surprise. A bunch of human teenagers with red eyes and strange power.

 “Hey, Mahiru, hurry up and go home.” Something soft poked his cheek weakly. It’s Kuro, of course. Still being lazy as always.

 “Can you please stop poking me? We’re outside!” Mahiru complained.

 “Nah, nobody see me.”

“And what if there’s someone realize you're talking to me?”

“Either they thought you crazy or a ventriloquist, as simple as that.” The cat answered while yawning.

 “Shut up.” Mahiru speed up his walk. “I’m just, you know, try to figure things out…”

 “About last night?”

“Yeah.”

Kuro purred. “Aw, c’mon, that’s not fun. Besides, why don’t you calm yourself with my soothing purr?”

“As if.”

 They kept walking in silence. They just arrived at the alley near Tetsu’s Inn when something makes Mahiru feel uneasy. What is it…?

 Then he knew something’s wrong. He stared at the alley for too long.

 “Emm, Mahiru? Any reason why you stop?” Kuro asked.

 “Don’t know…” Mahiru answered. “It’s just… I think something’s weird in that alley…” He knew he should ignore his feeling and keep walking, but at the same time he felt the urge to walk to the dark alley. “Let’s… Check it out, I suppose?”

 “… You sound like you’re drunk. Creepy…” Kuro sighed. But Mahiru keep walking to the alley.

 That’s when he found out that he’s screwed.

 Someone hit him and locked him to the wall.

 “Ouch! Oww…” His head hurts. Who’s the attacker? Subclasses? Sakuya? Or…

 Then he realized it was the girl he met last night.

 “Hey!” Kuro leap to the ground and transformed to human form, but before he could do anything, the girl pointed a gun to his forehead, again.

 “Let’s make this as peaceful as we can, okay?” she spoke. Her long green hair swayed by the wind, her black eyes turned to red. “We don’t want people to notice us, right?”

 Behind her, the other kids joined. Her group, apparently. One girl with orange hair had red eyes too, Mahiru realized.

 “Again?” Kuro sighed. “Really, what’s wrong with you guys? We’re just your average school boy, okay? Well, officially I’m a NEET vampire, part-time cat. But still…”

 “Shut up.” She hissed. “Or do you want to taste what it feels to have a hole on your head?”

 “Already experienced it. Not too amused.”

 “What’s our fault to make you angry?! We even never met before!” Mahiru snapped.

 She sighed. “You really are noisy, aren’t you? Well, let’s make to the point. Do you happened to know a guy, with black yukata, black hair, and have red eyes?”

 Mahiru choked. “You mean… Tsubaki?”

 “Oh, so you know him?” she pushed him harder. “Well now tell us where he is, or this guy would have a hole on his forehead!”

 “We don’t know!” Kuro snapped. “We were searching for him too, just like you!”

 She glared at Kuro. “Is that true?”

 “Yeah! We have some business with him too, after all.”

 She bit her lip and released Mahiru. He coughed. Kuro lend his hand and help him to stand.

 “So, what do you know about him?” she asked.

 “Um, I don’t think here is safe to talk about it…” Mahiru stated.

 “Don’t worry. Nobody would even notice us here.”

 Mahiru was confused, but he tried to keep calm. “Listen, there are too much danger out here. We know a safe place. Better talk there.”

 She seemed to had some deep thought.

 “Kido.” Someone put his hand on her shoulder. It was the blonde boy. “Do you think we should trust them?”

 “There’s no other way.” She decided. “You. Show the way. Do something funny, and we don’t hesitated to make you to a Swiss cheese.”

 “Geez, scary.” Kuro sighed. “What should we do, Mahiru?”

 “Lead them.”

 .

 .

 .

“Aaaaah!! It’s the scary person who attacked me last night!” Lawless pointed his finger to the orange-haired girl. No wonder, his butt was a victim to her kick.

 “Are you insane?! Brought them here, while they attack us yesterday!” Misono snapped. “And she even threatened to shoot you!”

 “Guys, listen. They had the same problem with us too. They’re here for Tsubaki.” Mahiru explained. He could feel the pressure on the air. Everyone gasped… Except Licht, who ate his melon in peace.

 “So, Tsubaki, huh…” Tetsu clenched his fist.

 “I really don’t know what’s inside his head.” Hugh leaned his back to Tetsu’s chest. “He made too much trouble in his runaway, it seems.”

 “And, what problem does Tsubaki brought to you, Miss?” Lily asked politely.

 The green-hair girl sighed. “He kidnapped our friend.” She said.

 “Ah, I’m sorry.”

 “No need.” The tall guy with black hair replied. Dang, his posture and body really is similar to Tetsu, tall and muscular. Mahiru couldn’t help but tried to decide how old he was. “It’s my fault for leaving her alone at that day.”

 “Seto, it’s not your fault, really. It’s just, we all never thought that it would happens that day.” The blond boy said.

 “Wait, what really happened to you? Could you please tell us?” Mahiru asked.

 The green hair, seems she’s the leader, cracked her hands. “It happened three days ago. We were out for groceries, while she stayed at our base. Seto here, at first stay with her too, but he got a call from his workplace so he should leave. When we went home, the base was almost destroyed, and we couldn’t see her anywhere. Luckily Ene was staying at our computer and saw what happened from the CCTV, so she told us, and from that we know about this Tsubaki guy.”

 The room suddenly went silent.

 “Wait, base?” Kuro burst out.

 “Stay at computer? What the hell?” Misono yelled.

 “How is it possible for a person to go in a computer?” Tetsu asked.

 She sighed. “The base is home for me, Seto, and Kano here, since we’re all orphan. While Ene, well… Let’s say she’s some sort of AI. Shintaro.”

 The guy with red jacket gave his phone to her. She put it on the table.

 “Ene, come out and introduce yourself.” The phone vibrated, then the screen showed a girl with twin-tail and blue jacket floating.

 “Hello! Nice to meet you!” she said cheerfully. Everyone gasped. Licht almost poked his eyes with the spoon. Kuro spurts his soda.

 “It talks!” Hugh yelped.

 “Rude! I’m a human too, you know! Well, although it’s like few years ago… But still, I’m not an ordinary AI!” Ene puffed her cheeks.

 “Okay, okay!” Misono said. “Now, show us what you have.”

 “Wow, so arrogant.” She said. “Wait a sec!” A video popped out. At first, it seems boring. The first scene showed they were going out, left the tall guy and little girl, presumably the one who got abducted. Then it was turned to fast-forward mode. The boy left hurriedly, the girl continued her activities.

 Then BOOM! Suddenly the front door exploded. The girl almost flew away, but she gripped the table tightly. Then there he was.

 “Tsubaki.” Kuro almost growled, made Mahiru jump a bit

 Tsubaki calmly went inside like it’s his own home. The girl at first looked scared, but then her eyes seems to be gleaming in red.

 Tsubaki looked like he’s giggled. Mahiru almost could understand what he was saying.

 “It’s no use~”

 Then, someone showed up behind him. Unfortunately the camera couldn’t see the person’s face. The girl’s face looked surprised. Her lips opened, then saying something.

 Then, as fast as wind, Tsubaki knocked her out. He lifted her, grumbled a bit, then disappear.

 Few minutes later, the others arrived, surprised seeing their base destroyed. The leader called her name, but there was no answer.

 The video ended there.

 Everyone remain silent.

 “Whoa.” Mahiru finally spoke. “That’s…”

 “Crazy!” Lawless snapped. “What the hell! He just bomb that place, saying ‘tada~’ then hit her and just go like that!”

 Yeah, give it to Lawless for simple yet stupid explanation.

 “He’s not alone, it seems.” Lily leaned his chin to his right hand. “Any idea who was it?”

“Maybe one of his Subclasses?” Kuro pointed out. “He has many troublesome Subs, as I recall.”

 “But the girl seems to know him.”

 “Well, they could blend with people easily. Maybe she’s met him somewhere before.”

 “I don’t think that’s the case.” Mahiru said. “She seems like saying something, right? It could be that person’s name. If she just met him once, she won’t remember him, neither his name too.”

 “Actually, maybe we know who’s that guy.” The girl said. “Here.” She gave the boys a small book with blue cover. Mahiru took it. The book looks old, the paper started to changing yellow. He opened it and found beautiful writing inside.

 “It’s Mary’s. Her mother’s, actually.” She leaned her back to the couch. “It has so many information. About us, mostly.”

 “Us?” Mahiru asked.

 “Yeah.” Her eyes looked as black as ink. “Our origin, if I could say. About how we got this power.”

 “Hm, interesting…” Lily said. “At first we thought that you’re all some kind of Subclasses, but I never meet any vampire who could revert their eye colors…”

“We’re human, we can assure that.” The blond boy said.

 “Yeah, but what kind of human who have red eyes? Normally no one would.”

 “That’s because we’re not normal.” The tall guy said with gritted teeth. “Satisfied?”

 “Oh, I’m sorry.” Lily seemed to feels guilty.

 There was a long pause.

 “No, it’s okay.” She finally said. “Seto, don’t be too harsh. He’s just not aware of our existence, that’s all.”

 “Yeah, sorry.” The guy rolled his eyes. Kido glared at him, then look back. “I’m sorry.”

 “Ah, no need. It’s my fault right there. I forgot you’re all too tired and tense.” Lily said with apologetic smile.

 “Well, let’s stop here. We’ll go for now.” The kids took their leave, but Mahiru shouted. “Wait!”

“What again?” the blonde boy raised one eyebrow.

 “Uhh, here’s the thing…” Mahiru realized it’s might be a bad idea, but… “It’s already night outside, best time for vampires to wander around. Better for you to stay here with us. We could work together starting tomorrow.”

 “What?!” Misono slammed the table. “Are you an idiot?!”

 “Thanks for the offer, I think.” The girl said. “But we have weapons.”

 “Well, it won’t work. Trust me.” He said. “It’ll be better to cooperate with us.” He could see that the girl was lost in deep thought, until she finally said, “Well, if you think so.”

 “All right. I’ll prepare the room then.” Tetsu stood up and walk away.

 “Wait, wait!” Misono snapped. “We don’t even know them! Do you really can trust them?!”

 “Oh, we haven’t introduce ourselves, right.” She shook her head. “I’m Kido. This shady boy here.” She pointed the blonde boy. “Is Kano. Then Seto.”

 The tall guy.

 “Kisaragi siblings, Shintaro and Momo.”

 A tired-looking boy and cheerful-looking girl.

 “Then this is Hibiya.”

 The elementary schooler.

 “And the missing girl is Mary.” She said. “Well, actually, according to Hibiya, he knew someone with a power too, but don’t have any idea where he went after the incident, so we never met him.” She sighed. “Long story. Now, it’s your turn, right?”

 “Ah, yes! I’m Mahiru!” he said. “Then this is Kuro, my Servamp. The one’s already left is Tetsu and Hugh. This is Misono and Lily, then Lawless and Licht-san.”

 “Your group looks… Unique.” Kido said.

 Well, it’s almost the same as yours, Mahiru thought.

 “Then!” the blonde boy, Kano, suddenly said. “We’ll gladly accept the honor to stay here tonight and work together with you guys!” he smiled. “Nice to meet you. Now please let us introduce you to our group, Mekakushi Dan!”

[grimdarkandhandsome]

SHAWN

    I was so embarrassed of my laser rifle that first day. I kept switching between clipping it to my belt and slinging it over my shoulder, trying to find a place for it that had minimal impact on my silhouette. Why oh why didn't I just buy the magnetized holster?

    'Everybody inside, children,' said Mentor Antonia as the dropship's big door swung open. 'Quick like bunnies! The Circle army is mustering as we speak.'

    We filed into the dropship, yawning. Quixota was in front of me, heavy-footed in rocket boots.

    'We're not children,' said Quixota. 'Even Eric has stopped growing by now.'

    Mentor Antonia depolarized her faceplate so Quixota could see how unimpressed she was.

    'If you're not children, then stop playing around and win some battles.' She leapt nimbly into the dropship. 'Takeoff in sixty secs.'

    We squeezed in. I remembered my old mentor Lady Dohi, back on Tau Ceti II. She actually called us children too, but she said it in a nice way, I guess. Here in War Training, self-improvement had evolved into hawk-eyed competition. I sat down and strapped in, rifle nose-down between my knees. I was between Quixota and the cyborg, Eric. I didn't know either of them well at all. The ship was cramped with all the armored students, and as we settled in we kept scraping and scratching the already-scuffed paint on the plastic seats. Everything was painted a really depressingly bright green. I pulled my helmet down over my eyes so I didn't have to look at anybody. The CQC girls were chatting irritably about missing winter on their home planet. Our squad was almost all girls, as was typical for our generation. With a muffled roar we rose clumsily into the air, and I watched the jump-jets flicker outside the rear porthole as we flew away.

    We were halfway thru our flight when our wristwatches glowed green, illuminating the undersides of everyone's chins and noses. We were entering the free combat zone. The CQC girls whooped and chanted.

    'Ho! Ho! Ho! HO!'

    The girl across from me looked my way and rolled her eyes.

    'Dionysians,' she remarked, as if this were normal or even a word.

    I intended to ask what she meant, but somehow just gave an awkward gesture of irritation and confusion. 

    She elaborated anyway: 'The opposite of Apollonians.' 

    She was a Light, or maybe Analyst class, tall with neat black hair. She wore a warp suit that made her look like a praying mantis librarian. 

    'I'm Lysa,' she said.

    'I'm Shawn,' I said miserably. 'Nice to meet you.'

    'Hey!' announced someone towards the front with a fusion spear. 'You guys! We are gonna blast those Circle dicks in half!' 

    Her companions cheered. I grimaced. 

    'The pleasure is all mine,' said Lysa, eyes sparkling. 'I see you've brought a laser rifle.'

    I couldn't tell if this girl was making fun of me or not. 'It has really good hip-fire accuracy,' I mumbled.

    'Do me a favor, okay? Hang on to this.' 

    She handed me a silver sphere about the size of an eyeball. It had a little triangle etched into it. 

    'Uh, um, okay,' I said, and dropped it into my satchel with all my other gear.

    'Have you ever been in a ground war before?' she said.

    'No.' I was painfully aware that despite being nine orbits old, I looked more like seven.

    'Neither have I,' said Lysa. 'But I've played a divine buttload of simulations.'

* * *

    Forward Base Rho was too new to have a real name. It had only been captured yesterday, and might well be lost again soon if the enemy mecha column came this way. It consisted of a circular wall, three towers with bomb launchers, two barracks (for seniors and juniors), a bathroom, a bunker, and two picnic tables. A couple battlefield cars were parked outside, caked in red dust. 

    We landed and piled out, blinking in the sun. We had alighted on a vast shallow slope under a brilliant blue sky. Out here in the wastes, the earth was a dry, windblown red, hard like asphalt. Patches of blue-green grass waved like seaweed. The land was very flat, distinguished by craters, ridges, and rocky hills. Downhill, at the limit of my vision, I saw a blue river winding among green fields. It was hot out, but the breeze was cool.

    The local commander unlatched the gate and waved us inside. ('Oi! Munchkins!') He was an older man from the Mecha Corps, with a robotic arm and a familial demeanor. He looked kindof like a broad-shouldered Confucius. He led us to the battlements, for the debriefing. 

    'Hello and welcome, soldiers. I'm Rozome, and, yes, I named Base Rho after myself. The campaign's going pretty good down here, but it all hinges on whether we can deal with the enemy armor in the west.' 

    He pointed towards the plains downhill, where a large plume of dust hung in the distance. 

    'Base rules are "Don't cause trouble" and that's it. I'm in charge of this here base, but your Mentor is in charge of you.' 

    Mentor Antonia bounced her eyebrows. 

    'You guys are in luck,' continued Rozome, tucking his beard into his jacket. 'The enemy doesnt care about this spot at all. You can totally goof off. Before you arrived it was just me and the journalist defending this place.' 

    From one of the gun-towers a skinny young man gave us a half-interested wave. 

    We all gave each other a look. All of us were here for action and career development. Bunking in the desert with no combat and a dozen meatheads? That was just a bad summer camp. I sighed. 

    'Anyway, pretty straightforward. Go ahead and settle in. I'll shout if we're attacked tonight, but 99% odds it's going to be quiet.'

    Mentor Antonia herded us back down to ground level. 'Mission tomorrow at 0900. Recon. No delays.' 

    We shuffled into the junior barracks. 

* * *

    After dinner, the CQC kids crowded onto four bunks for a tedious and noisy game of Never Have I Ever. I was just tossing my satchel onto the top bunk in the far corner when a flash of crimson lightning exploded in my face. 

    'What the shit?!' I probably said, falling onto my butt. 

    In the previously-empty top bunk sat Lysa, grinning. 

    'Hi!'

    'What did you ... do?!' I said, picking myself up again. 

    'I'm testing the teleport homer I gave you.' She tossed my satchel back down to me. 'I'll take top bunk, okay? We can be friends, it'll be fun.'

    'Um. Alright.'

    I put my bag on the lower pillow instead. I mean, at least I could get out the door faster if we were attacked. 

    'So,' said Lysa, peeling off her warp suit. 'What's your plan for tomorrow?'

    'Well,' I said, 'I don't think we'll do any real fighting, but I'll probably just give cover and supporting fire if we do.' I started to take off my armor. 'And you?'

    She pulled an immense Earth Sucks tshirt over her head. 'Watch and learn!'

* * *

    In the morning after breakfast we aggregated by the gate and, after some headcounting, squeezed into the cars. They were big combat models, like particularly bouncy trucks. Four people in armor could fit in the back, with a smaller passenger seat next to the driver. Lysa sat up there, next to Mentor Antonia in the front car. I was in the second car, in the back. 

    To noone's surprise, the mission itself was completely uneventful. It wasn't horrible, actually, because the cars were open-topped in the back. I'd forgotten how pretty terrestrial planets could be. We patrolled a wide perimeter around Base Rho, then split up and went exploring. There were some very nice striped arches in the rock, and actually a few artificial statues. I wondered whether would we have time to try our hands at carving something like that. It was a nice meditation. 

    We got back in the mid-afternoon. It was viciously hot and a layer of boredom was accumulating on our shoulders. Most of the others procured warm beer and retreated to the barracks, so Lysa took advantage of the quiet to teach me chess. Apparently they gave classes on it on her planet (Aurora I). She seemed a little heat-wilted until I killed both her chancellors with one elephant. Then she perked up and became much more competitive. Soon she had two bishops and her queen pointing at my defenseless king, and I had to tip him over. We sat in the shade of the well and she read while I dozed.

* * *

    Wednesday was just as boring as Tuesday, altho Lysa brightened it a little by texting me mocking nicknames for our squadmates. (For example, we named the short girl with the flamethrower Blowhard.) We drove as far as Base Beta on the edge of the sector, but didn't see so much as a bullet hole. 

    Thursday the other girls got fed up and confronted Mentor Antonia. The bravest of them (Blowhard, in fact) knocked on the senior barracks, while her friends hooted and cheered her on. Our Mentor opened the door immediately. 

    'Yes?' She was in simple unarmored fatigues, but she somehow wore them with an air of austere competence. 

    'Yo, we, um ... we would like to submit a command request, sir.'

    She merely raised an eyebrow.

    'Can we, uh, can we engage some of the enemy, sir?'

    Mentor Antonia smiled and looked them over.

    'Okay.'

    'Yo, you're serious??'

    'Yes. Everyone in the cars in twenty.'

    There was much whooping. Even I whooped, quietly. Lysa just grinned. 

* * *

    The sky was a fiery orange by the time we rolled out. The sky was immense on this planet. The CQCs were really happy, punching shoulders and shooting lasers into the ground. Actually, I couldn't blame them.

    We rumbled downhill at a very bumpy pace. We were borrowing one of the bomb launchers from the base towers, which Blowhard was crewing beside me. 

    'Our target,' said Mentor Antonia over the radio, 'is Base Lima, which is currently under Circle control. We're going to do a driveby first, once around. We are going to fall back out of range if they answer with equivalent resistance. If they do not present enough resistance my car - and my car only - will storm the base. Car Two will support or fall back at Quixota’s discretion, while remaining mobile. Over.'

    I pumped my fist surreptitiously. I was in the front car! I was in the van, like furious Achilles. I power-cycled my rifle and double-checked the battery. 

    We killed the headlights when we were ten minutes away. There was a lot of shhing in the back seats. I inventoried: rifle, four batteries, fully loaded cylinder pistol, an ion grenade and a concussion grenade. Time for my first day on the job. 

    Base Lima was supposedly in the center of a big, weathered crater downhill of us. I craned my neck but the crater's edge obscured everything below the base's comms antenna, gleaming in the sun. The enemy had fixed a Circle flag to it. It shuddered in the steady wind, and I thrilled.

    When we crested the ridge, I saw why we hadn't run into any enemies this whole time. We went over it with one of those little jumps that feels like going into space for just a second, and we skidded a little on the red gravel. We descended into a broad basin of red sand, in the center of which was ...

    'Is that ... a golf course?!' I said, squinting in the sun. 

    'I think it's like a big ass little forest, man,' postulated Blowhard beside me. 

    We drove cautiously towards the anomalous patch of green below us. It was at least five minutes away, but it still looked pretty large in area, maybe the size of a small stadium. It had trees, and very bright grass, and a sparkling river. The base's towers gleamed in the middle of the woods. It all looked really great to us in our dusty combat gear. 

    'An oasis!' I heard Lysa shout over the radio.

    'Boss, yo, can we go swimming?' said Blowhard.

    'No, soldier,' said our Mentor.

    'Aww, c'mon sir, why not?'

    'Because there is resistance.'

    And then ten camouflaged figures, just a stone’s throw away, stood up and opened fire. 

* * *

    'The winner is the artist with the more elegant performance.'

    This was my best teacher's motto. Ms Dohi, the Vertical War veteran. She was as tall as my shoulder, and her black hair was half as long as her. Definitely one of those competitive Vega women. And it was easy to see the results. In her office hung her doctorate in Campbellian film, and on her chest hung her Iron Heart.

    'The opening of violence, the introduction of projectile exchange, this is the most primal possible way to begin a narrative. The eyes are widened, the heart is engaged, the knees bend as the audience enters the story.' 

    I did all her assigned reading. Her Narrative Infantry Ops class was my favorite. It really made me see combat from a new angle.

    '...In this framework, then, to engage the foe with the classical honor, with urgency, is to accelerate the close of the ritual. To stand ground in Bushidic valor is to combat not just the foe, but combat itself. A more honest, Coverful attitude to violence is the embracing of covert actions. The soul of taking cover is iterative, a repeating dialectic of attack and retreat. Coverful warfighting is mutual, constructive, and compassionate. Hiding from the foe, engaging in mutual search, killing from behind, these are relationships of respect for the foe's mind, celebration of the foe's agency.'

    Accordingly, when the Circle ambush started shooting holes in the sides of the car, I took five quick breaths and jumped out onto the sand. When I stopped rolling, the cars were roaring away uphill, but at least the dust of their wakes obscured me. Coverful warfighting is about pushing the envelope. Changing the gamestate.

    Lying low on my stomach, I unhooked my concussion grenade and got ready to toss it at my enemies' feet. I only needed to stay unnoticed until it detonated, then I would have the advantage. 

    Unfortunately, in the next instant my concentration was interrupted by a giant

    - BOOM -

    as something unnecessarily high-powered punched a hole in my chest. Everything went numb and I started to fade. The last thing I saw was a Circle girl with big goggles pumping her fist as my own grenade went off in my hand. 

* * *

    T R Y  T W O.

    I woke up in a small bed with thick sheets. I was back in Forward Base Rho. Lysa was there, wearing a dress and writing in a black notebook.

    She smiled. 'Finally, you're awake!'