Operation Killjoy

V

"Why do you think her code name is Killjoy?"
"Shut up, Barney!"
"Don't act like you don't care Elroy."
A thin and tall man laid on his stomach, hugging a bag to his chest as he sketched something in a notebook. It was a wonder he could see at all, but the dim embers illuminated the bright paper. His hair was blonde, which made his dark brown eyes stand out, with a sharp nose and jaw. He was a looker for the ladies, I mean the man was an artist for fucks sake women basically worshiped his feet.
Knowing this however, it never went to his head, and he had never been interested in romance.

"Barney, I swear if you don't stop scratching on that paper I'll shove it up your ass!" Elroy tested. He was shorter, built like a tank though. He had dark brown hair and piercing grey eyes that could freeze over hell with a single glance. His facial hair was hard to keep down despite the army's rule on it, if he didn't shave every day he ended up with a rough shadow.
A raging idiot to others, a simple man that needed a friend to Barney.

"I need to finish this tonight. There may not be a tomorrow."
Elroy was silent.

"Don't say things like that." A groggy voice mumbled. Barney sat up and faced the man that laid on the ground a few feet away.
"Gilmore! You're awake." He chirped.
"Shut up, Barney. Keep it up and I'll kill you myself." Another voice chimes in.
"Ah, I'd be honored to be killed by a fellow American in this wretched country." Barney recited dramatically. A few men laughed as he tested the others patience. The gunshots that thundered through the thick forest shattered any momentary relief. The laughter was gone and it was completely silent aside from a few men still shitting their pants.
Strange.

"Check the rest you idiot!" A muffled voice yelled from the front. Vinny, a small mousy man, scrambled into the center makeshift entrance and everyone pointed their rifles at him. He froze.
"Whoa guys, it's just Vinny!" Barney mused, dropping his rifle.
Vinny visibly un-tensed as the rifles lowered.
Killjoy pushed him aside, looking around.
"Is anyone hit?" She barked, a look of worry on her face, a look that you don't see often.
"Good. No one dies on me, got it?"

"Aye aye captain." Barney said, lighting a cigarette. Killjoy smirked, not that anyone could see it from the darkness.
"It was a false alarm, Briggs here's a little trigger happy." She explained, pushing a stumbling Briggs into the circle, tripping Vinny in the process.

"I need two others. Cigarette, big guy, let's go." She pointed to Barney and Elroy, before turning and walking back out to where Lt. Moore stood.

"Alright boys, duty calls." Barney groaned as he stood up slowly, and Elroy followed silently. They came out to see Killjoy silently arguing with Colonel Moore. They laid on the perimeter barrier with their rifles stable and aimed.

"I said men, not trigger happy boys, what the hell is with your cavalry, lieutenant."
"They're kids that got drafted, agent. You won't get your war dogs in Vietnam."

Barney stretched and yawned loudly, lazily positioning himself at the perimeter of base on the left side of Killjoy. She turned, eyed him, and turned back to Moore with a look that said 'are you fucking serious?'. She stood and walked over to him quickly, before kicking his knee out from behind him and ripping his rifle out of his hand.

"It's not even loaded, what were you going to do beat the VC down? Are you fucking stupid?" She said in a low voice. His knelt down figure looked up into her eyes for a moment before shaking his head.
"I don't shoot. No sense in killin' for a country that ain't mine, ma'am."
Killjoy hesitated at his honesty, glancing down at him. The look in her eyes faded quickly.
"Don't call me that, what's your name?"
"John Barney."
"Barney, huh." She said plainly as she reloaded his rifle and shoved it into his chest. She bent down next to his ear and pointed out into the darkness, a rancid smell wafted from the hills in front of them.
"Remember what I said? No one dies on me. Now light this and throw it as far as you can." She pulled a flare from his side pocket and held it to his chest. He let out a chuckle.
"With all do respect, Killjoy, I'd like to refuse."
She smirked, patted his shoulder and stood up, before returning back to her post next to Moore.
He shook his head with a shit eating grin on his face as he readied himself.

"Flare!"