Sharp Shooter

Dial 20

John drove back to A51 so fast that I managed to slip back into the barracks and catch another 30 minutes of sleep before the wake up call sounded. When the bell rang out, the Ferals in my barracks, minus the SW's and my friends, were out of their beds and out the door, leaving the rest of us alone. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Vortex's friend Raider sneaking up to her bed.

"GOOOODDD MORNING VEITNAM!", he screamed.

I saw Vortex jump awake, her tail slammed against the wall above Sorra's bunk, making her jump awake. I couldn't help but laugh at the looks she gave him.

"What?", Raider asked smiling.

"Douche", Vortex snarled.

"Agreed", Sorra said lowly.

Kachira hung her legs over her bed, kicking Helios in the side of the head, making him jump awake as well.

"What the hell!", he growled, "who did that?"

"I did", Kachira said, "what are you gonna do about it?"

Helios growled, but didn't say anything.

"Thought so", she smiled at him.

"You guys always wake each other up like this?", I asked as I pulled my jeans and boots on.

"Only when Raider is being a huge douche bag", Vortex growled.

"What's your problem?", Valstrath asked as he woke up.

"I'm tired!", Vortex snapped.

"Watch the attitude", Val said, "I haven't forgotten about the maple syrup in my .50's action."

"That wasn't me!", Vortex snapped again.

"The who was it?", Val asked.

"Helios", Vortex said, her frown replaced with a smiled, her mood seeming to lift. I had to say, if she really was just putting on a face, she really needed to become an actress.

"No wait a minute!", Helios screeched, "I didn't do shit!"

Val smiled, "calm down Helios. I know who did it."

He gave Vortex a dirty look and she shrugged him off.

"We gonna go eat or what?", I asked standing up and grabbing my gloves.

Vortex smiled, "I think we should follow Renny's advice, the food ain't gonna wait for us."

We walked as one large mass from the barracks to the hanger where breakfast was in full swing. We took our usual table and soon the huanch of what looked like a wild hog came sliding down the table.

"Raw bacon?", I asked, "not fair, it's only good after it's been cooked in it's own fat."

"Oh that's right", Helios said, "you don't eat raw meat."

"Problem?", I asked.

Helios shook his head, "no, I just keep forgetting your not Fireblood."

Raider tore a huge strip off the pig, burnt it too a crisp and handed it to me. It was the first taste or real food that I'd had that I wasn't on some kind of painkillers and it tasted a lot better than anything I'd had in the hospital. I was tempted to stuff the whole thing in my mouth, but quickly realized that I would choke before I got a chance to see what Dad had left me to run.

"Gonna choke yourself Renny", Vortex said as I swallowed a rather large piece and took a gulp of air, "small bites now."

I smiled, "sorry, it just tastes good, first time I've eaten since I got off the painkillers."