Commanders Course (Old Ver.) [Girls' Frontline Fanfiction]

Chapter 08: It Is What It Is

     "Team pollen has returned from patrol." Under the pale moonlight, team pollen stepped in. MP40, with her dishevelled hair and partially torn uniform, briefly saluted at Aiden and Selesia. "Evening, sir, ma'am, we apologize for the state that we're in. We got into a firefight on our way back."

     "Is everyone okay? Any injuries to report?" Selesia stood up from her seat and guided the rest of the team to the rooftop bivouac. They moved with sluggish strides, each step a burden to their exhausted bodies.

     "Nothing serious to report ma'am."

     "I took a branch to the face, does that count as serious?" ARX-160 mentioned, pointing to her reddened forehead.

     M12 shut her eyes and set her firearm away as she grabbed a crate to sit on. "If you had watched where you were going--"

     "You obviously did that on purpose!" She cut her off before she could even finish.

     "And I thought you were the most experienced one in the team! You could have avoided something as trivial as that!" She loosened her red scarf and picked a heated ration to eat. "HS2000, pass me the spork." She snapped her fingers to the cup of utensils.

     ARX-160 was fuming, hands clenched, jaws tightened, eyes filled with rage. In the end, she did nothing. No retort. Maybe it was true, or maybe she was too tired to even fight back. Storming to an open seat, she sat down and rested her assault rifle on her lap. S.A.T.8, with a soft smile, handed her an opened ration, with a spork already inside. "Thanks." She muttered through gritted teeth and ate in silence.

     "Ma'am, I have news to report about Sangvis." AR70 stepped up to Selesia and did a brief salute. Her royal blue clothes were dirtied with mud and grass, but her poise and gestures stayed proper and elegant. "We have spotted the jammer and it's located at a nearby substation. It seems that they are rerouting power from the transformers to keep it going."

     A troubled look could be seen on Selesia's face. She whipped out her tablet and accessed the area map. "Right here?" She pointed.

     AR70 took a quick look and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

     "Okay, at least we have something to work on."

     "I'll get ready." Aiden was about to stand but Selesia quickly grabbed him by the arm cast and yanked him back to his seat.

    "No, you're staying. You are in no condition to fight." She commented. Aiden sucked his teeth and rubbed his aching forearm. "See?"

     "I'm not going to sit here and do nothing."

     "Of course not." She smiled a wicked smile. "You're going to load up my empty magazines!" She lifted the flaps of her magazine pouches and handed the empty ones to him. "There, if you want more work, you could do team pollen's."

     Aiden felt the heat rush to his cheeks as he grabbed the empty magazines. AR70 watched as he walked away to the ammo box and sat down.

     "I think it would be better if he could come--"

     "Get some rest 70, we'll be leaving in half an hour." She interrupted.

     "Yes, ma'am. We'll be ready by then."

     After the second magazine, Aiden is already bored to death. If he stopped now, there would be nothing else to do. So he pressed on. The chatter of the girls blended with the croaking of frogs and chirping of crickets in the background. He watched them laugh, scold, and talk enthusiastically as he finished loading the last magazine. He stacked them all together ran a thumb across them. Four magazines, loaded and ready for use.