The Favourite Brother: Complex Edition

Recurring nightmare

Chapter 65:

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After hearing Anzu's sudden disappearance might be an alleged kidnapping, and engulfed in rage because of the prior kidnapping events they had to endure, Ray can't risk another one of his people getting snatched. In response, Ray took Matthew, and eventually Peter, and rallied the active duty members of their fort, which is now called 'The Basteel'.

~~~

Every Ooarai trooper and medic that is awake at this time of night are called in to action by Ray, while the ones who are resting, or have maintenance focused jobs were told to stay in the Basteel and stand guard. Same goes for Thomas's engineering crew, Simon's glorified maid service, and the tankery maidens – much to some of the crews' disappointment.

The news of another kidnapping, this time the victim being their student council president, shakes the Ooarai troops to their core. They're not shocked and appalled Saunders would do such a thing again, but rather they're irritated, and furious that Saunders are still doing it, even if they lost.

Even though Anzu has accumulated... a rather sour reputation with the men-of-arms, she is still their commander-in-chief, studentwise, and they can't allow that. The men have the same motivated anger as to when Andrew and the freshmen were taken before.

~~~

However, when doing a brief headcount of the active forces that will be assigned to the expedition team, Ray sees almost half of the troopers and medics swaying from side to side and are barely holding themselves together. Their heads hang, and the look they have in their eye means just one march in that forest would be enough to make them pass out from fatigue.

Ray realises too late that the booze offered to his troops in the canteen got the lightweights, and those who drank too much, drunk. There are some who know how to hold their liquor, and kept themselves stable and straight, but with those who are too drunk that they could barely lift their rifles, Ray has no choice but to let them stay in the Basteel.

Ray knows of a sobering or hangover cure provided by his older brother, and also learned an effective remedy from Pekoe, but distributing them to companies of drunk soldiers would be time wasting, and Anzu, captured or not, can't wait any longer.

~~~

It is still early in the night; an hour or two later will be the troops' bedtime. Even though they could just skip sleep, they have to act fast and get Anzu back before the dim-half moon rises just above the Basteel. Most of them are still tired, mentally, from yesterday's excitement, and from the legacy of the variety of hooch left behind by Saunders.

~~~

Ray originally thought to have John in charge of this expedition/rescue team, but Bartholomew and Peter quickly substitute for John's place. Their reasons are: both have been in the forest longer and spotted a few outlaw camps while guarding the perimeter, and both of them wish to give John his needed privacy with his old lady.

As much as he doesn't want John to get used to slacking off all day, pollinating Hana's rose, disturbing him is considered a dick move.

~~~

Ray also thought initially to accompany the team, but going into a thick forested area, with Saunders guerrilla fighters hiding in the thickets, makes Ray is a prime target. So Bartholomew and Peter lead the expedition group, promising Ray they'll be back unscathed with Anzu, and perhaps a few Saunders prisoners, as quick as they can.

~~~

After assembling the able-bodied men and women available, they prepare to press onward into the forest. Peter refrains from tying a flag on his back, because it will get caught on a branch, or a tripwire.