Shell

Chapter 19: Runners

I was seated outside of the commanding officer's building awaiting discipline, I should have seen this coming but I don't regret what I did in the slightest. A woman in uniform stepped out of the door holding it open.

"Commander Hicks will see you now." She said.

"Well here goes." I sighed.

I walked into the tent and found the Commander Hicks planning at a map on his table before looking up at me. He didn't look particularly angry which was kinda surprising.

"Artemis, your team causing shit wouldn't surprise me. But getting word that you punched someone in the face in the mess hall made me almost spit out my coffee." He remarked.

"Well he grabbed and pulled on my tail which surprised me and I dropped my tray sir." I replied.

He chuckled a little bit.

"Don't worry about it, just don't make a habit of it alright?"

I nodded.

"Alright now for why I really called you down here, your papers came in today your officially a Corporal in the USDF." He said tossing me a pin with two chevrons and crossed rifles. "You're dismissed Artemis."

I nodded and turned to head for the door.

"Come on wheres that salute?" Hicks said with a sly grin

Slightly irritated I turned and gave him a salute.

"There we go." He said before going back to his map.

Walking out side I saw the guy I punched with a bandage on his broken nose, he saw me and I scowled at him. His paced quickened as he went on his way, I turned and headed to my team's barracks getting wary glances from all the soldiers here. Reaching the door I went inside to the main room to my teammates all playing poker. Ray sat there looking smug with slightly more chips than everyone else. Marcus looked like he was trying to keep his cool as he had the second least amount of chips. Mal, the sniper I had met before, was giving Ray a competitive eye as he had only a few less chips than Ray. And finally the newest addition to the team was Katty, our intel officer, who was almost on the verge of tears as she had only two chips left.

I sat down on the couch behind Marcus and saw that he had a shitty hand.

"I'd fold." I whispered to him.

"Shut the hell up." He replied.

"All in." Ray said as evilly as he could.

The others sighed, Katty more than Marcus and Mal.

"Show em'." Mal said.

"Pair of Kings." Ray said.

"Shit." Marcus said showing a 10 and a 3.

"Pair of Kings." Mal said competitively.

"Two ones..." Katty said sadly.

Everyone was silent for a minute.

"What?" Katty asked innocently.

"Those aren't ones Katty... They're aces, you won the hand." I said face palming.

Her face went from confused to ecstatic as she processed what just happened. Ray and Mal sat there evaluating their choices and deep in thought while me and Marcus started laughing at their misfortune.

"Well what'd the Commander have to say Art?" Ray asked.

"'Don't do it again.'" I said throwing up air quotes.