Who do you think you are? A Superhero? ACT I The One About Trash

Chapter 9 - "The One About Curiosity"

The sound of the aircraft grew louder, echoing through the air as it touched down the clear path for landing in the HQ. As soon as the door swung open, dust particles began to fly everywhere, creating a chaotic scene that looked like it was from a movie.
The medical Unit, the M6, were already waiting, rushing almost immediately towards The Searing Hawk. "Incoming casualties! Prepare the stretchers!" The first Medic yelled, his voice urgent.
"I need a hand over here! We've got a critical case from The Searing Hawk!" The second Medic joined in, taking over almost immediately.
"Clear the way! More patients on board!"
"Ambu bag ready! We've got respiratory distress, prioritize!"
"Where's the triage team? We need to sort these cases quickly!"
"I've got a conscious patient here, assessing for injuries. Need assistance!"
"Anyone have an update on available beds in the field hospital?"
Despite the amount of people rushing in at once, there was coordination, making the process easier as the soldiers were transported away. After they were all done, the members of the K9 began to get down from the aircraft. The first person to step out was Dominic, his long hands stretched above his head. "Nhhhhhkgh! So- good!" He grunted in content as he straightened the kinks that had formed in his muscles due to the long ride. "Gosh, that was good." He yawned.
The second person was Izzy, and almost immediately, she looked disappointed as her eyes scanned around the improvised landing track. The rush of adrenaline she had gotten from The Searing Hawk was still in her bloodstream. But now, they were back to their boring old Headquarters. "Man, I can't believe the ride is over. Wish it could continue over and over."
"Hmm-hmm..." Maui said, appearing next to her. He looked like he had gone through hell and back, with how tired his face looked, followed by the tremors in his knees. "I hope I never have to climb on that thing ever again."
Sigrid, the third person to embark, pushed his way past the duo, brushing his shoulder against theirs.
"Hey, the hell are you doing!" Izzy called after him, but her protest fell on deaf ears.
"Just let him go." Maui sighed, holding on to the side of his aching stomach.
The next person was Clarissa, and with all the equipment dangling around her neck, she looked like a rat drowning in bags. As she stepped out of the Hovercraft, two bags fell off, causing Izzy, Maui and Dominic to look at her.
"I'm good, all good." Clarissa laughed nervously, scrambling to gather the fallen bags. Her hurried movements gave off a bit of nervousness as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"Here, let me help you," Dominic said, going back to her. He bent down and began picking up some of the bags that had fallen to the ground. Clarissa was grateful for his assistance, as she joined him. "Thanks." She smiled.
Meanwhile, Izzy looked towards the entrance of the Aircraft, a frown settling between her brows. "Where's the Captain?" She asked curiously.
"He will be here soon," Maui replied, dragging Izzy along. "Let's go look for something to eat."
"Hey, hold on!" She protested, elbowing him in the ribs. "Weren't you puking just a few seconds ago?" She queried.
"Ouwww...And now, my stomach is empty." Maui winced, rubbing the spot she had hit.
"Fine, let's go- or not," Izzy mumbled as she spotted someone by the end of the exit path.
A few seconds later, Massimo appeared from the doorway of The Searing Hawk , the wind whipping against his hair. By the time his feet hit the ground, he popped on his dark sunglasses, so he could see better with all the dust flying around. The wind continued to whip against his hair as he walked towards the improvised staircase. But at the exit stood The Admiral of the U2 Nicholas North, with two other higher-ranking Polar Bear officers of the unit. As Massimo approached, the admiral's eyes lit up. "Well done, Captain!" He greeted, extending his hand.
"Sir." Massimo greeted with a nod, shaking his hand firmly.
"Thank you for bringing our brethren back successfully. Our duty as Body guards of this engineers was stopped by those criminals. Your leadership and skills have made us proud." The Admiral stated.
"I couldn't have done it without my team," Massimo responded humbly. On the other side, the faces of the other members were filled with pride, causing a big smile to form on Clarissa's face.
"Good job K9" The Admiral nodded, "Oleksandr must be proud! Wherever he is..."
"Damn right!" Izzy mumbled, causing Maui to elbow her on the side.
Dominic grinned, while Sigrid being Sigrid grunted. On the other hand, Clarissa looked a bit surprised, her eyes sparkling with disbelief. The admiral, satisfied with the team's success, nodded approvingly. "You can all return to your barracks. Any future instructions will be relayed to you."
"Yes Sir!" Massimo saluted.
"Yessss Sir!" Izzy and Dominic saluted.
"Sir!" Sigrid followed.
"Yes Sir! Yes Sir!" Maui added
"Ye-yes Sir!" And finally, Clarissa joined in.
The K9 members all saluted in their different ways, everyone tired and hungry from their long mission. With a final nod from the Admiral, the team dispersed.
Later that night, everyone retired to their assigned space; each room decorated with their individual touches. In Maui's room, he was currently knocked out on his bed, his clothes all over the ground, with his stomach poking out from under his nightshirt. The fatigue and tension that had built up during the mission had finally left his body, causing him to snore loudly. Dominic was also sleeping, but his sleeping style was the complete opposite of Maui's. He slept in a straight line, almost like he was a corpse. Sigrid and Izzy were still awake; with Sigrid working out, while Izzy was checking through her phone. But Clarissa - well, she was trying to sleep, but nothing was working. Her heart kept racing as she remembered the time both the captain and Chief had acknowledged the team. "I was useful." She giggled, rolling over to her right side. A few more minutes passed by, but Clarissa felt too excited to sleep. Finally giving up, she swung her legs to the side of the bed, pushed herself up, and then - left the room behind.
As she walked down the dark corridor, she could hear distant murmurs and the occasional thumping sound from one of the closed doors. Apart from that, the barracks were completely quiet. "Should I go back..." Clarissa mumbled, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep if she went back now. Sighing, she continued to go down the hallway until she spotted a dim light coming from the central room. Clarissa hesitated, wondering if she would meet one of the members of K9, or perhaps the captain. This made her nervous, as she imagined how awkward it would be if it was Sigrid or Izzy in the room. Taking a deep breath, she began to recite a rhyme she had learned during her time beyond the wall, hoping it would help her decide.
"Bubble gum, bubble gum, in a dish how many pieces do you wish..." Recited Clarissa, yet not happy with the decision ended with "my brother told me to pick the very best one and you are it"
"I guess I'm going." She mumbled, as her finger pointed towards the room. She slowly walked towards the faint glow, trying as much as possible not to make any sound. Fortunately, the door was slightly open, and peeking through the tiny crack, Clarissa realized that the blue light was coming from a laptop screen. She could also hear the sound of someone tapping on a keyboard, making her more curious. Holding her breath, she tiptoed her way inside the room, trying to see who it was; so she would know if she should escape or stay. The tension increased in the air, her heart racing as she successfully entered. As she moved closer, Clarissa realized it was Massimo.