Fracas
Summary: Month one at Camp Curahee, first team evasion training for Jane, Robert, and Shane.
Notes: I’m filing for custody of Team Wolf Pack. My tragic little Spartan III rage babies.
Previous work: First Step
@authortobenamedlater and @ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask
Re: Spartan III and Kurt!
(Not sure why the formatting is being odd and not wrapping word.)
They were supposed to be quiet, and the stupid boys were arguing again.
Jane shoved down her irritation at Shane and Robert as she maintained point position, which meant she was in front and a lookout. At least they didn’t slow her down as their group moved through the forest area designated Trapzone 7. Mission parameters: evade capture, which was fancy military speak for don’t get caught. Success meant dessert rations. Failure meant laps around the rally ground. Jane didn’t actually mind running and her Aunt Molly used to say her sweet tooth hadn’t grown in yet.
But Jane did hate losing.
There was a crashing sound behind her and Jane jerked around to see Robert’s foot sunk in the ground up to his ankle. Small pit trap. The instructors called them ‘gopher holes,’ and more than one recruit had broken an ankle on them. Robert was lucky they’d been moving slowly so he was just stuck and he hadn’t even fallen over. Jane felt red hot anger flush across her cheeks because she was on point and supposed to notice things like that to warn her teammates about. But she passed just fine and Robert had to find it with his big, stupid foot.
Jane clenched her hands at her sides as she stomped back to Robert, who had gotten his foot free with Shane’s grudging help. “We’re not supposed to leave a trail!” she said, shoving Robert in the chest hard enough he stumbled. Shane snorted and she rounded on him. “You’re not any better!”
“I didn’t do nothing,” Shane said, swatting at Jane’s pointing finger.
“You didn’t tell me about that gopher hole,” Robert snapped at Jane, brow furrowed in a pout. “How was I supposed to miss it?”
She turned to glare at him. “Maybe notice it yourself?”
The color in Robert’s face was almost violet. “Don’t push me,” he said, lunging forward, nearly stepping in the gopher hole again, and shoving her. Jane stumbled back into Shane, who shoved her away on reflex. She stomped the ground to keep from falling forward and whirled on him. “Jerk!”
Shane’s expression went from apologetic to angry in a flash. “Hey! You bumped into me!” And he shoved her again.
That rage she felt since her family died was constantly at a low simmer, but it was boiling now. Jane caught herself on her back foot and grounded her stance, power in the legs, how Lieutenant Ambrose taught them. She balled her left hand into a fist and swung at Shane’s face. CPO Mendez said being a leftie made her a ‘southpaw’ fighter.
“Hey!” Robert shouted grabbing Jane and pulling her back as Shane fell on his butt. That did not deescalate the situation.
“I don’t need help!” Shane snapped as he rolled onto his knees.
Then they were all brawling. Punching and kicking, and it didn’t matter who got hit as long as the hits landed.
Jane got Shane in a headlock but he bit her hard enough she let go, which made her even angrier. Robert grabbed her by the back of her shirt and she elbowed him in the stomach, which made him double over, but he smashed his head into her nose as he did it. Shane punched Robert in the jaw, but he left himself open for Jane to tackle him. That put them both on the ground so Robert could...
Snap.
They froze at the sound of a branch breaking nearby, attempting to quiet their heavy breathing. They were about to be found and to fail their mission.
Jane scrabbled upright as Shane dropped and rolled down the small hill they were on to the stream. She realized he was making it look like they’d gone that way. Leaving a fake trail was smart. With all the grass bent and smooshed flowers, it wasn’t like they could hide they’d been there. She shook off her jacket and tossed it down by the water, like she forgot it while running. All the clothes at the camp were too big for her anyway.
Robert ran to a nearby tree and leaned against it, waving for Jane and Shane. Jane ran over, jumping and using his shoulder to get higher with Shane right behind her. They both reached down hands to pull Robert up and the three of them climbed higher into the canopy. The trees on Onyx were weird. Higher up branches began to intermingle, making it possible to climb between trees.
One of Robert’s feet slipped against the damp bark and he started to fall, letting out a hiss but not yelling. Shane grabbed the back of his shirt. Then Shane nearly lost his grip, but Jane hooked her knees over a branch and hung down to grab his wrist with both hands so he didn’t lose his hold on the branch.
They didn’t dare move. Jane even held her breath.
Below the drill instructors were moving, calling to one another about the path down to the stream. Sighting lights flittered through the leaves, a beam went over Jane’s knees, but the camo print on her pants was good enough it moved on without pause. Jane felt the trembling strain in her arms as she squeezed on Shane’s wrist.
The instructors split off, one going toward the stream and the other deeper into the forest. Jane didn’t move, and neither did the boys until they heard the sound of a different group getting caught in the distance.
Robert swung to get a perch and Shane finally let go of his shirt. Jane waited for Shane to get both hands on his branch before letting go of his wrist, her nails having left little indents from how tight she was holding. She dangled upside down for a moment before pulling herself upright.
More waiting in silence before they climbed down to the forest floor. Jane let out a long sigh.
“Commendable teamwork.”
None of them jumped but they did all go still at the sound of the voice.
“Fuck,” Jane swore.
“You can’t use that word,” Shane told her, scowling.
“Who made you potty mouth warden?” Robert asked, and Shane turned to glare at him.
Taking a deep breath, Jane shifted to see Lieutenant Ambrose leaning in the shade of a nearby tree. “Sir,” she said with a salute, which the boys copied.
“Good situational awareness while in combat, too,” he said as he stepped onto the grass they’d flattened.
Jane wasn’t the only one that flushed to know the Lieutenant saw them fighting.
The three of them stood at attention and waited to find out how much trouble they were in. Her neck hurt looking up at him. The Lieutenant was so big and tall. Jane wondered if all Spartans were tall, and if she would be tall when she was a Spartan. Because she was going to be one.
His gaze passed over them. “You pass.”
Jane made a squeak of surprise as Shane blurted, “But we didn’t see you!” Robert elbowed him and hissed, “Shut up, stupid!” and Shane elbowed him right back.
Lieutenant Ambrose might have smiled just a little bit. “If you were able to notice a full-fledged Spartan at this point, it would be meaningless for me to be training you,” he said as he handed them three green wristbands as proof of their success. “Head back to base.”
“Yes, sir!”
They grabbed the bands and made a run for it before he could change his mind.