Aram's Bataillon

Fireworks

I dived into another ditch created by the Russian artillery guns.

A convoy of enemy trucks raced past, heading towards the artillery unit we had just blowen up. I loaded my rifle and aimed at the last trucks tire, pulling the trigger I shot the edge which wouldn't be enough for it to exploded but it would create a hole causing the tire to slowly leak out its air and eventually they'd have to stop.

We'd been all over the east coastline of Queensland, up and down blowing up artillery guns, I'd lost count of how many units we had found but nkt how many we had blowen up. 345. And that was just me alone, together we had all blowen up 952. The Russians would retreat from that area only to return to another larger front.

I radioed the others, "Seven truck convoy going the way we just came, shot out their last tucks tire, that will continue to leak air. I'm coming back now just gota get this fuel secured to the bike."

We had used the cover of nightfall and in the darkness we raided the KTM shop taking some of their bikes, quads and Atv's it was fun to finally ride a motorbike even if they did make such loud noises I was definitely geting a motorbike license now. Using the bungie cords I strapped the fuel down and sound the gun stap across my chest so it was like a seatbelt with the gun resting on my back, my short sword was abiet a bit more anoying to arrange so it didn't stab me in the side.

I had to adjust the scabbard clasp so it held the sword further down the scabbard which made it almost straight parallel with the bike although I made sure it wouldn't slip out as I rode.

Using the momentum from the bike I rode down the hill gaining speed and veered of course into the numerous trees. We'd been careful to not disclose the location of our camp and we were not going to stupidly do that now with louder but faster vehicles.

"HEY! BLONDIE!" I groaned at the nickname Flic had given me and rolled my eyes reaisting the urge to jump off the bike and tackle her.

"Hey Blondie your back! What did ya get besides the usual?" They would always ask if someone came back with anything else besides fuel for the cars and motorbikes, this time Flic was asking no different.

"Nei! det gjorde jeg ikke, men du kan få drivstoffet jeg tok med tilbake! Å jeg elsker hvordan du ikke vet hva jeg sier haha!" I said and she punched me in the arm.

No! I didn't, but you can get the fuel I brought back! Oh I love how you don't know what I'm saying haha.

"You know I don't understand Norwegian or whatever language that is!" She whined, since our little trip to Brisbane I had printed out sheets with Norwegian words and how to pronounce them and of course I took them back with me.

"I said no but you can grab the fuel I brought back." I translated to her.

She groaned and undid the bungie cords before mock whipping me with them as I hopped off the bike and took off my backpack amd the gun sling. "Your a tispe you know that?" She faked asking me a question to get her point across.

"Nei! du er en tispe! And I guess you don't need these!" I said pulling out the multiple big bags of skittles I had found while out on a fuel run that were still in date, of course sugar.

No! You are a bitch.

They tackled me but they were too late cause I had thrown them across the clearing towards trees.

"I...hey!...no..hehe!...stop TICKLING meh..ahh! Bitches! I threw them you idiots!!" I shouted as they tickled me trying to get me to let go of their imaginary confectionery lollies.

There was six packets so everyone got one for themselves but I dubouted Ace needed one, that kid could go hypo alright and that was just on a handful of skittles! Maybe I should just hid that child's bag and control their consumption of the sugary things that she goes hypo on, Ace would probably beat me up or tickle me till she found them though.

Over the last few weeks the Russians had pressed even harder in keeping us or 'Amarms Battilon' out of our town and that make sneaking in under the cover of darkness almost impossible but too risky.

"There are units posted here and here, we can take them out but it's no use going for the too risky option, who knows what would happen I we were to try and get back into town." I said as I pointed out artillery units form my supply runs.

An oldish map of town which was peppered in different coloured sharpies- each colour ment something amd or repemresented different- sat next to the map. We also had marked out the artilery positions and front lines as much as we could. The one gold dot was where our camp was located incase someone forgot. That way the Russians would be wondering why there was just a random spec of gold ink on the page in the woods.

"Then what do you suppose?" Ace asked me, she rarely talked during these meetings.

But we made sure she was included, everyone here is a team and if we made Ace sit out them not only would that be not fare but also showing we didn't see everyone as equal and a teamate, otherwise we wouldn't have made it this far.

"Why are you talking to me like I'm the leader or something?" I questioned back.

"I don't know, it just feels right for you to be the leader." Flic awnsered for Ace.

"You are used to leading people from the back in the goalbox at hockey but even before that you were a good leader, just to shy. You treat everyone as equal, make them comfortable and alow them to do what they prefer, you listen to other people's ideas but most of all, just because your the 'leader' you don't boss us around or demand us to do something. What a true leader does." Aquila explained, Lachlan agreed by patting me rather hard on the back using his surprising strength.

Flic and Ivy where nodding and Ace, well the child was ready to bash me lightly if I said something wrong.

"Thanks for the compliments guys but I'm not a 'leader'. Sure I'm happy to direct the team in the right direction but I won't take charge of the team because together we all make up the team not just me telling you what to do. A captain is supposed to help direct their team not take control of it, amd that's what I'm going to try to do. But sirously guys do we really need to vote?" I asked after my shity rant.

They looked at one another before simultaneously pointing at me and then saying, "I chose you Blondiem"

"WHAT HAVE I SAID ABOUT THAT NAME!" I shouted.

They flinch from my sudden temper change but otherwise laughed off my annoyance at the nickname.

"Fine since you all so thought of that discussion very hard I shall give you stupid ideas!" I said through gritted teeth.

Short bits of laughter echoed around the camp."We need something big, something the allies can see, something...." I trailed off haveing no thoughts left in the last of my few brain cells.

"Something, something big enough to attrack both sides. It would have to be an explosion, that they know isn't the enemy and it goes boom big enough." Ivy suggested.

"Something like a firework." I said as an absolutely stupid plan came to my mind.

Everyone looked at me like I was crazy but also a genius. "Where the fuck are you going to get fireworks from?" Flic said in an incredulous tone obviously confused on how we would obtain such a thing.

"We send a small team of two into Brisbane and find out where they are holding the noisy, colourful things and when they see a perfect time to strike we take some. Okay, loads. But only the gold and green ones. Eh, maybe yellow could work as well. Then they bring 'em back here for us to set off all down the east coastline." I explained my stupid plan outloud.

"Why green and gold?" practically almost everyone asked in unison.

"Because, Russia's flag is blue, red and white. And our competing colours are the famous green and gold." I explained the reason I had chosen specific colours.

Palms met faces all around me.