Chapter Text
1. the little monkey head
When night broke, they continued to advance. In tightly mushy squads of 5, they secured house by house and thus constantly created more ground for the following troops. The right scouting was the irrevocable basis for a successful mission and First Sergeant Caitlyn Kiramman, the leading sniper scout of this mission, knew that too.
„Secured.“
It echoed quietly over the coms in Caitlyn’s ear as it roamed abandoned buildings and past intimidated civilians.
Everything was kept as inconspicuous as possible, she would prefer only to be with Steb, her spotter, but rules are rules and there are harsh times in Runeterra.
„The warehouses further east are experiencing movement. Shall we take a look, Sergeant?”
They have long suspected a Noxurian weapons warehouse nearby and the size of the unused, unremarkable area alone is formally offered. After a short consultation at the assembly point, they swarmed quietly around the hall. The cold sweat gathered like an uncomfortable pull on Caitlyn’s lower back, as if her body felt before her eyes that this hall was not empty.
But what she would not have expected was to come across another platoon in the unknown vaults.
„Here Bravo two we have come across a different platoon, watch where you shoot. Over.“
The explosives specialist of the other platoon passed when she met Caitlyn and Steb with her mine-seeking dog.
She knew it was a mistake to lower her coverage to start a conversation with the far too cheeky young girl and her dog „Lux“. A few seconds to lose focus.
Because the next moment they got into a small ambush. Everyone was shouting and seeking shelter. Lux barked over the gunshots.
„Jinx!“
Caitlyn still heard and the next moment she was roughly pushed to the side, what followed was a hot pressure wave and a ringing in her ears that lasted a few minutes.
The Delta squad finally ended the fight after a few minutes, when it became clear that the situation was secured, the rescue team was called with paramedics. Unfortunately, for some soldiers, any help came too late.
They tried to collect themselves as best they could and let everything slip away from them, they had a mission. But at what price all this was not really clear to Caitlyn anymore.
The faces of her men spoke volumes after every clash of this kind. Many thought about their families, things they still wanted to experience, places they still wanted to see. Caitlyn always carefully observes every change in mood, that only a doubter in life, who was tired of life could irritate the whole squad to death in the worst case.
From her observation point, she let her gaze wander over the small courtyard on the side of the warehouse, when a small twinkle caught her attention. As if remotely controlled, she took the few steps and picked up the little round monkey head. It was perhaps only slightly larger than a champagne cork and a small laminated picture hung on it. The monkey’s eyes must be made of children’s glass marbles, which was also explained by the light reflection of the rising sun over Runeterra. After some wiping, she recognised 2 people in the picture. A woman and little girl who beamed into the camera sitting together on a tractor, on the back were small somewhat misshapen hearts painted with a message in childish handwriting.
„Stay safe Xoxo“
But when she turned around with the monkey in her hand and wanted to go back to Steb, a grenade hit right where she was sitting 2 minutes ago. The explosion pulled her off her feet and everything went black.
„You were lucky in misfortune, Sergeant, a few inches further and we would have had to send them back to their mother in a box.“
Caitlyn was already aware of it, but she had been brought up too well to point it out to the hospital doctor. It was only a moment in which she had once again lowered her cover. She saw it as a warning, as a reminder of her mindfulness.
She asked all the squads she met in the next few weeks if the picture belonged to someone, not only to maybe give it back but also to say thank you. Because if she hadn’t picked it up, she wouldn’t be here anymore. She carried it with this little trailer all the time and wondered who the 2 were on this blue old tractor. Caitlyn had to think of photos from her childhood, none of them seemed as free and casual as this one. Theirs consisted of carefully chosen poses and only a slight smile.
“No one wants to see your missing baby tooth, Caitlyn. Shut your mouth immediately!”
Said her mother in her photo about school enrolment and from then on it had always been like that. The fact that she joined the Marines was her first true rebellious act, which was punished with her mother’s complete disgrace.
„A Kiramman does not want to war like a barbarian, a Kiramman is a diplomat, he leads a city, he governs with words not with a weapon. He has a seat at the big table of the city council. Not in the blood-soaked desert of Noxus.”
Since then the wind had become icily cold in the former home, actually she did not know if she wanted to return to this huge mansion. To the chagrin of her father, she did not return and was now on her 3rd rotation.
The convoy of 4 cars was already on the road all morning, there was a relaxed silence in the car. Caitlyn usually didn’t like the adrenaline before shooting or during exploration on a mission. The tranquillity that her small group radiated from far too familiar faces, a small family in all the chaos.
„I didn’t know that tattooed and muscular is your type, if only I had known that, I would have sent my sister bench press.“
The new Jimmi chuckled behind her as he watched her. Caitlyn was in her owen mind and from time to time tracking the photo line of her lucky charm with her index finger.
„Don’t make fun of the lucky charm, besides your sister looks like a poro. You can keep her Jimmi, Caity is already spoken for the tractor lady.”
Steb playfully boxed him in his arms, which led to even more giggling in the car. Caitlyn just shook her head with a smile and put the picture back in her breast pocket.
„I’m not promised to anyone. Besides, you don’t know anything about the woman in the photo.”
She took a deep breath and turned half to Steb, who only grinned mischievously.
„Caitlyn….alone this hair screams Ladykiller, I tell you it was no coincidence that you found that. This little lesbian wet dream was meant for you. Maybe you should look for her when we can go home soon.”
No matter what answer Caitlyn had on her tongue, she couldn’t say it anymore when the car suddenly overturned and everything went black.