Wings - A Hamilton Fanfic - Lams, Mullette, and Jeffmads

Chapter Thirty Four

Hercules's P.O.V.

Today, Lafayette is pulling some time out of his busy schedule for a quick lunch date with yours truly in Wolfpine. It's been a few months since the recapture of Base 1235, and since then, Major General Washington has really been doubling down on resources. More food is being sent to the soldiers fighting on the front line, and Base 1776 has had to take most of our food from Wolfpine. 

I dread the day when Major General Washington will send us onto the front lines. No, no...if. If he sends us out onto the front lines. It may not happen. We've been fighting against a few Human troops recently, and we've been able to stop them from getting any further. Every battle has been a success, and the suddenness of them all has helped Lafayette with his battle skills. With no time to plan, he's had to improvise. A few times we got dangerously close to losing, but John and I stepped in to help. We're basically Co-Assistant Generals or something.

I think about all of this as I sit waiting in the restaurant. I wonder when the next attack will hit. John is currently looking over the base in case something happens. I know he'll be able to defend Base 1776, with all our new defences. New weapons have also come, so we're back to being the powerhouse we were.

"Herc!" I come back out of my daydream to see Lafayette rushing in with a grin on his face.

"Hey Laffy!" I greet him as he sits down. We start chatting, and this time it's not about battle plans or even anything to do with the war. We chat about everyday things, like our families, our pet peeves, and jokes we've heard recently. And we flirt with each other a bit. Of course. It's almost like we're not fighting in a war. I...I like it.

"Oh, Hercules, I've got something interesting to tell you," Our food comes and he keeps quiet as the waiter sets down our plates. 

"What, has your mother invited me to dinner again?" I tease with a smirk on my face. Lafayette's mother has been super insistent these past few weeks for me to come for dinner. Lafayette shakes his head before doing a double take. He nods.

"Well, yes, but that's not what I was going to tell you," He babbles. Lafayette takes a furtive glance around the room as if he has something confidential to say. "Okay, so I'm not quite supposed to tell you this," Lafayette tones down his voice. Oh snap, is this actually a confidential thing?

"But I got a letter from Washington this morning, and..."

*****

John's P.O.V.

'I'm such a good overseer of this base,' I think to myself as sit down in the barracks with some other Winged. This whole morning I've been SUCh hard work, like...um... checking the barracks! Yup, gotta make sure we have enough spare weapons. What else have I done...Oh yeah! I made sure all the other soldiers weren't slacking off on their training.

I start chatting with the soldiers next to me. All of us are super excited for the new year, even though we're likely going to still be engaged with the war.

"So, fellas, what are your New Year Targets gonna be?" The soldier with orange wings, Lukas, asks.

"Oh, well, getting enough courage to ask out a girl I like is mine," A quiet soldier with light blue wings answers. I think his name is Evan. A week ago he was flying patrol but flew into a tree and broke his arm, so today he's wearing a cast around it.

"You go, Evan!" Lukas enthusiastically cheers.

We chat a little longer on resolutions until everyone leaves, all except Lukas and I. We get into a discussion on slavery in Human areas.

"It's just...stupid, y'know?" I exclaim passionately. "They're people too! I couldn't imagine what life would be like if we had slaves in Winged areas. My dream is to make sure that never happens, and to free all the slaves that 'belong' to Humans," I use air quotes and Lukas intently listens.

"Y'know, I heard from a source of mine that sometimes, when Human soldiers capture Winged, they take them back to their homes and make them their slaves," Lukas says in a very serious tone. I feel almost ready to explode.

"WHAT? That's... that's..." Oh my goodness, I... Argh! I don't even have words for this! Not only do those...jerks cut off Winged prisoners wings, but now they're making them SLAVES?

"I know! It's terrible!" Lukas says sadly. "I bet we're all gonna become slaves when we lose the war."

"You mean if," I correct absentmindedly. I still can't believe the nerve of some people...

"No, I mean when," Lukas says. I do a double take and look back at him.

"Hey, stop joking around. How would you know whether we're losing the war or not?" I say. He can't be this pessimistic. I'd say that we've been doing pretty well in this war so far.

"I'm serious. There was a rumour going around that we've been badly losing the war, and I didn't believe it at first, but then my brother, who works in Base 1732," Lukas goes silent.

"He basically confirmed it, huh?" I ask, and I don't think I want to know the answer. Lukas nods.

"Well, what's Major General Washington doing about it?" I reply indignantly.

"That's the thing," Lukas says. "My brother told me that the old man has given up. I'd say we have two weeks, tops." I stare at him in surprise. Major General Washington? Has given up? A flash of rage flushes through my body.

"He's what?" I growl. "That isn't helping Winged kind! Screw it, I'm writing a letter to him. Maybe I'll knock some sense into him," I mutter.

"Yeah! Make him face up to his mistakes!" Lukas adds on. "Hey, maybe you could ask him to come here, so you can really get him to buck up!" 

"That's a great idea!" I smile, and Lukas's eyes light up. "I'll go write it now! Thanks, Lukas!" I fly off, determined to...how to put this...

Write a wrong. 

Okay, maybe that's a little too cheesy. More like knock some sense into him.

(1028 words)