[Val Gris]

[May 29, 2021]

—

The boat rocked back and forth. The gentle waves allowed me to ponder on my life choices.

In the distance, explosions rocked the island. The surface defense installations were active, and getting broken one, by one.

I enhanced my helmet’s binocular equipment, allowing me to get glimpses of the fight. The 'enhanced optics' gave me fuzzy images like it was TV from the 50s, but blown up onto HD screens.

Kori, in purple, flew through the air. Her physical presence was a game changing factor. She was faster then the enemy could respond, and seemed immune to their weapons.

Kara, in blue, moved at a more sedate pace as she had to double check each target before taking it down. Though she was more happy to keep moving, rather then the occasional pauses the Kori took.

Anti-air turrets spat out bullets en mass, but the lithe girls moved around the shots. Or let them fail on their superhuman physic.

The surface to air missiles proved to be more annoying but a non issue.

I stared as both girls fired off either energy blasts from their eyes. Or in Kori’s case, eyes and hands.

Their attack scythed through the missiles, causing them to detonate midair.

Then they went to work on the static defenses.

In a short amount of time, large plumes of smoke began to appear around the island.

“Taste my wrath, Glubnorb!” Even from my distance, I could hear Kori’s battle cry.

The girl was a bred and born warrior. Her spirit shone through with each attack. I didn’t know what a ‘Glubnorb’ was, but I was sure it wasn’t flattering.

She yelled out the Tamaranean word, then proceeded to vaporize a line of missile pods. Or I thought it was more then one missile pods, it was fuzzy from at the distance between us.

Kara was more reserved. She was born into a society that valued science above all else.

War and battles were, to the modern Kryptonian, a barbaric event.

Though it didn’t stop her from helping out her new friends, and her new, self declared, best friend.

Though the blond took her time on the battlefield. She used her unique vision to ensure that the targets she attacked were mechanical.

How she had learned how to use x-ray vision, I doubt I will ever know.

The fight didn’t last very long at all.

Instead of a intense invasion, where hundred died in minutes, the two girls cleaned up the site.

Finished, the two girls pulled out their one set of equipment. Two sets of flares shot up, and I counted them.

One. Two. Three. Four.

“All forces, roll out!” I commanded into my communication system.

Overhead, our six planes were circling around. Candice was leading both the Jade Falcons, and the Iron Wolves as the vanguard.

Since I was too important to risk on such a direct assault, I got regulated to leading the second wave.

More troops, but I doubt that the simple AK-47s were a threat to those combat robots noted in the reports.

In hindsight, I was glad. Despite our desperate food shortage, no one had actually bought everything. We still had caches of reliable, used weapons.

Otherwise my second wave would be moving in with pitchforks, and knives.

The ship’s horn blasted out as we raised anchor.

With a lurch, we began to move forward.

Though I could see Val Gris, it was a dot on the horizon.

I closed my eyes and prayed to the greater good.

Or, I could pray to our super girls.

—

The soldiers jogged off the ramp.

The fact that there was already a greeting party was nice. Hundreds of soldiers from the Iron Wolves Legion.

It bode well for my nerves.

Commander Fenris was already waiting for my arrival. His helmet was off, and his shit eating grin set my heart at ease.

“Well Rico, you might have gotten out shape, but I didn’t think it would take you this long to land.” The gravelly voice of the older man sneered.

“Shut up you! That thing steers like a pregnant whale, and you voted against me!” I glared back. I would not seen forget his treachery.

I was the Supreme Leader. My word was law.

I did not get outvoted. I listened to reason.

“Such a shame. Though it was funny when both those new supers voted against you as well. What was the Blondie's words again? Pudgy? Fragile? Short sighted?” Fenris leered as I stopped by him.

I winced at each word. I wasn’t that old!

The girls had waited with me until Candice had come out to inform me that they were ready. The strategy finalized, and despite the earlier arguments, everything was ready.

Fox, and Rabbit Legions were arguing to be the vanguard. Their lack of specialized equipment meant that they were less valuable.

Candice, and Fenris, countered that their Wolfpeltz armor gave them enough protection. That it was vital to actually create a beachhead.

Besides, they were going to ram the transport planes onto the island. There was no way that basic, unarmored units were getting away unscathed.

Then the other four legions, Fox, Owl, Rabbit, and Turtle, would then approach. They would storm the island via transport ships.

Then they would find the entrance, and gut AIM from the top down.

I nodded. I didn’t like it, but wasn’t the general here.

Kori nodded. Then changed everything as she volunteered to be the vanguard. Her super abilities was everything they needed, and they needed it bad.

Kara then also offered to help, while making snippy comments about me.

Fenris’s following grin was both glowing, and promising untold teasing.

“I thought you would be chomping at the bit to become the next Supreme Leader!” I huffed back. Fenris had been a contender, but instead supported my nomination.

As the only other important military power on the island, his words held a lot of sway.

“Dealing with all that paperwork? Bah!” Fenris spat onto the dry ground. It would stay low tide for a few hours more.

A limited time frame for the risky assault. The sea would work against us. Luckily my new friends were happy to help.

“Though gaining their support, even if its only for this mission, is good. You doin great work Rico.” Fenris’s voice softened. “Though you couldn’t pay me to have to read each of Jacob’s after action reports.”

I slumped at the man’s barking laugh.

Jacob, commander of the Owl Legion, loved to hear himself talk. Which also translated to writing. The man wrote almost as much as any other two legions.

“They volunteered.” I looked up, but they were no longer in the air.

“They are all in the base. Candice has most of my boys with her, and I am here to ensure your safety.”

I glared at the man.

“Consider it the price of being competent.”

I frowned harder.

Perhaps it was time to put some moves on the alien girls. I would either die from the impertinence of the suggestions, or I could die from exhaustion.

“Well, lets skip to it old man.” Fenris chuckled as he slipped his helmet on.

I frowned, but followed the man as we walked a kilometer.

There was a door. It was once flushed with the ground, but someone had peeled up the thick metal barrier. I could see the dainty hands imprinted onto the edge.

I measured it with my own hands, but I couldn’t guess if it was Kori, or Kara.

“It was Blondie. She took one look at it, and simply dug her hands through the rock, and peeled it up.” Fenris shivered.

That girl could rip out his heart, and that included the armor he wore, and the tank he would prefer to be in.

“Kara is a sweetheart. Don’t piss her off.”

Something in my voice told Fenris more and he barked out a laugh.

Candice hadn’t talked about my near misses had she?

Who was I kidding. If someone bought her a drink, she would blab it all out.

Among the people, I was the Supreme Leader. A titan of a man, who chose the destiny of Val Verde.

Among my commanders, I was a man named Johnny Rico.

A leader that once pooped himself during training. When a fellow rookie threw a grenade high, and shallow.

The grenade hit my helmet. Bounced onto the sandbag, and then I reacted by throwing myself onto to the floor.

The grenade popped, but was only full of compressed air. Which Sargent Arbuckle had neglected to inform anyone of.

The man took one sniff, and told me to go shower.

All in the presence of the commander of the Regalia, Fenris.

I never did live that one down, but I was glad there was fellows who remembered that story with me.

—

Chapter Nineteen: Val Gris