Senko pulled back the slingshot's band. The target stood before her. A black doll with no eyes or any kind of facial expression. She let go of the band and with a whoosh, the bullet flew. It passed the target entirely and hit the ground behined it. She could see the dirt smoke up at the spot where it had hit.
"You're not gunna rest?" It was Saul's voice.
Senko felt guilt and turned. He stood there with a blank expression.
"I'm sorry I disobeyed.." Senko said that without the sir or any formalities. She didn't care too much and was even considering dropping out of the army. Saul sat down on an ammo crate near Senko.
"You know. My dad was hard on me as a kid..he was an ex armored trooper. He lost his leg in the battle of Odana River." Saul lowered his head.
"Although I hate him for forcing me into combat training at the age of three. I know now that it saved my life…People misunderstand the art of practice." He said.
Senko listened in silence as she studied the band on her sling.
"Why do you practice?" Saul asked.
Senko thought about that. Why practice? Recognition? For redemption? Acceptance? She wondered.
"So I can shoot perfect bullseyes." Senko said.
"Thats not a bad answer, but there is no perfection. You practice to get a little better every day." Saul removed his gun from it's seath.
He aimed at the target with one hand. Then he fired five bullets. Each shot hit the target but not one shot made a bullseye, not even close. Senko's eyes widened. She looked at Saul, then at the target.
"It's impossible..is that what you're saying?" Senko felt defeated. If an elite couldn't get a shot between the targets eyes, then what hope was there?
"No. Thats not what I'm saying…your so fixed on perfection that you missed the most important thing. Perpose..whats the perpose of hitting these targets?" Saul asked as he slid his gun back in it's holster.
"To kill.." Senko replied.
"Then why are you so obsessed with hitting the enemy right between the eyes? You thought I missed, that I failed, but my target was effectivley killed." Saul said.
Senko was amazed again, but that wasn't enough. Somehow she felt as if she needed to prove she was perfect. Maybe more than her comrads, so they would stop making fun of her and accept her.
"I'm still going to get a perfect bullseye. I'll be the best marksman." She said.
Saul smiled and tilted his head.
"Welp..as long as you understood what I was trying to say. If you keep practicing like this, you'll possibly surpass everyone in due time." Saul said and left.
Senko kept shooting on her days off. So much she was bored to death of it.
She fired a bullet and missed for the millionth time.
"Stupid sling!" She cried and threw it across the shooting range. It fell in front of the target doll. Then a black crowlanded beside it. Senko frowned, because she knew what would happen next. The crow picked up the sling and opened its wings. Then it flew away past the fort wall. Her heart felt as if it sank below her stomach.
"Oh, no..I'll be busted if I don't return it to the armory." She whispered.
Nobody seemed to even notice. The two guards on the watchtower were laughing at something between the two. Her comrads were surrounding a tank, probibly learning about it.
Senko could still see the crow flying. It decended down into a large hill and landed on a tree. That must be it's home, she thought. I'll get my sling back and nobody will notice.
Senko walked up the wall's stairs. At the top was a clear view of the field. She could see large fireballs in the distance. Landing like small rain. That was the active battle field. She looked down and saw the easy way to go down. The grey bricks were so tightly placed together that there was no way to climb down.
She pulled a grappling hook and tied it to a nearby anti air cannon. She pulled hard to test it and it felt sturdy. So far there were no gaurds nearby.
She dropped the rope and began to climb down. Her feet slipped every now and then by the polished bricks. Her feet touched the bottom. The grass looked brown on this side of the fort. Broken tanks and cannons were visable. Some tanks were a blue and gold color. Zeta's tanks were black, so Senko could only assume they were enemy tanks.
As she continued. She kept getting a bad vibe, something wasn't right. Something felt terrible. There were no sounds, but the wind. No bugs, birds, animals. Nothing but the sound of rattling metal, wind, and her feet crunching the dead grass.
"Whaa!" Something squeeked behined her.
Senko jumped in surprise and looked over her shoulder. A pink figure stood there.
"Axolotl?" Senko whispered.
"Whaa." It smiled as it walked to her.
Senko was surprised by the axolotl, she realized she needed a weapon. If any wild animal would attack them. They'd be hopeless. The axolotl itself didn't have it's cannon either.
"I saw you leaving camp..I saw your sling fly away." The axolotl tilted its head.
Senko noticed a device on its neck. It was some kind of necklace with a small screen attached. In that screen she could see the words sliding across.
"You can talk now?" Senko said.
"Yes. Thank you for helping me put on my armor every morning. I'll help you get your sling before they find out." It said.
Senko patted its head.
"Thanks. My name is Senko." She introduced herself. They'd only be aquantinces before, but now she felt she could call it a freind.
"Yes. I know you're Senko. They make fun of that name so much." It said.
Senko felt her eye twitching as she realized the bullying didn't stop at pranks. They kept on making fun of her when she wasn't around.
"My name is Pala. I'm an anti tank marksman." It said.
"Nice to be friends with you." Senko smiled.
The battle field got worse and worse as they got closer to the crows nest. Now they could see skelital remains of horses and dead soldiers. Senko kneeled down before an adult suit of armor. What if they were alive? Maybe they needed help. She clicked the straps and pulled he helmet off. A loud noise made her jump and she realized it was a glitched out alert.
"Danger, trauma to 13th spine bone segment-error thirty seven. Please seek immediate medical help and return the armor." The voice kept repeating that message. Senko saw the skull. It was mumafied and brown. It's eyes were like a pit of rotten meat. Senko coughed, then gagged. Her mouth watered, then she fell to the floor and vomitted.
She felt the dry grass rough against her palm as she wiped her mouth.
She knew instantly the armored soldier died of starvation. He or she was left out there to die with a glitched suit of armor. Thats why that soldier couldn't contact anyone. Senko felt her breathing jerking. Was this a panic attack? She wondered. She fell to her side and felt as if she couldn't catch her breath. As if she could get enough air.
"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die." She began to repeat those words and her breathing managed to steady. As if admitting her fear was some form of payment.
"Whaa! Wha whaa!" The axolotl slapped Senko's face.
Then the translator began to speak.
"Get up! We can be spotted still." It said.
Senko wiped the sweat from her brow. She was lying down on the hot dry grass. She sat up and saw everything again. The helmet, the corpse, the destroyed machines. She knew she was traumatized for life, but she had to keep going.
"I'm sorry.." Senko said as she wiped the sweat off her face.