Quantico Marine Training Base, Monday Morning

[l1ttle_billy]

Beah Head was waiting for John Connor, curious about the new recruit that Billy, and through him, Duke, was sending.

Comments

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John pulled up in the Suburban, ready for bear. Literally. "Might as well wear a sign that says 'Fresh Meat'," he mumbled to himself, looking around for someone named Beach Head. Like he'd have a sign.

Okay, or it could be the guy with the thing on his head.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

The guards had already informed him of the kid's arrival on base, so he was ready.

"Front and center Connor. I'm Beach Head." At first glimpse, he wasn't entirely impressed with the look of him. But he knew looks can be deceptive and he respected Billy. So he'd reserve judgment.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Good to meet you," he replied. Okay. Serious-guy is serious. "So what's on the menu?" John was ready for anything: firearms, PT, field stripping weaponry blindfolded, catching flies with chopsticks. Okay, maybe not that last one.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

They'd do without the blindfold this time, but all the rest was indeed on the menu. Well not the chopsticks bit.

"We're gonna start with a run to loosen up and get the led out." Beach Head found a ten mile run to be a good way to start the day.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John was glad he had on his comfy boots, and did some stretching. "Ready when you are," he said. He was used to a two or four mile run, sometimes five on the weekends, but ten shouldn't be that bad.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Beach Head liked the kid's attitude so far. If John made it to the end of the run, so much the better. If he didn't, Beach Head wouldn't hold it against him. He would just encourage John, strongly, to go at least one more mile.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John would probably last for an eleven mile run. Twelve might be pushing it.

"So, running, jumping, climbing trees? Target practice? What else is planned?" he asked, a bit curious.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Score one for the rookie. "No tree climbin'. Let's see what you brought with you. By the way, you pick a code name yet?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Brought the .45, figure it'd be basic enough," he said. He'd brought two. Just in case. "Rifle, shotgun, bow. Left the bazooka and howitzer at home." He was mostly joking.

"I'm thinking...Kill Switch."

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Beach Head gave him a measuring look to see if he was kidding about the artillery. "Kill Switch huh? Not bad. All right let's see how you do on the obstacle course. With the rifle, .45, and this." He handed John a full combat pack that weighed handwavey amount, about 40 pounds maybe? A little heavier than your average high schooler's back pack. Which mun recalls was about 40 pounds.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

Jack checked the rifle and the Colt to make sure they were safe, and inspected the pack. "ANything in here I should know about?" he asked, starting to open the zipper. "I like to know when I'm holding explosives."

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

There were a few bricks of c-4, but the detonators were kept in a separate pocket and not armed anyway.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"This stuff makes great Play-Doh, did you know?" John said as he zipped up the bag and slung it on, adjusting the straps. "I used to make ponies and tanks and trees and people out of them. And then we'd blow up shit. Fun times."

Ah, childhood.


[Going out clubbing. I promise not to club too hard. Back tomorrow!]

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Beach Head looked at him again, this time with a slight look of incredulity. "C-4 ain't a toy rookie."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"I was five," he said. "I didn't have a normal childhood." Which was an understatement.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

"What in the Sam Hill was goin' on that you learned about C-4 at age 5?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John grinned; it was feral and rather scary. "My mom was trying to prepare me the best way she knew how to deal with surviving things that may not be survivable. Jack Of All rades am I, know a bit about this and a tad about that. It's a long story, I'm sure you wouldn't be interested."

...he probably was, anyways.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

"Boy I know a kid who's daddy was groomin' him to take over the world when he wasn't tryin' to kill him. If your mom was anything like him..." He wasn't trying to be insulting, he was just trying to get to the bottom of things. There were plenty of folks who were raised a little bit differently in Beach Head's experience. Problem was, most of those doing the raising were bad guys.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Along the same lines, but mom instead of dad, and no trying to kill me. I do enough of that on my own," he said. The smile was a bit warmer now. "I've been told that I shouldn't' take the chances I have. But...I'm still here, so..." He shrugged.

Sarah Connor could be the bad guy, if you were a machine sympathizer.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

"Your mom wanted to take over the world? You ain't from this dimension right?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"No, machines want to take over the world, and we ain't having it," John replied, calmly. "Not from this dimension. Met a certain 'recruiter' at high school...and here I am."

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

"Next time you compare your mom to Billy's dad you might want to add that part." Beach Head advised. By then they had arrived at the start of the course. "Ordinarily I like to do this under combat conditions, but I don't have anyone available to lay down fire. So we'll make do."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Oh, good. Always hated that part," John said absently, giving the course a once-over. He adjusted the straps again, jumped a few times to make sure it was secured, and grinned. "Let's go."

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Beach Head nodded. "Go!"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John grinned and took off running, jumping, climbing walls, ducking under nets, and so forth.


The grin never left his face.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Beach Head watched with silent approval. He liked the kid's attitude, no doubt. Okay maybe he could stand to take things a bit more seriously, but all in all, not bad.

"Not bad Kill Switch." he said once John had run the course.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"It's an oversized kid's jungle gym," he said, catching his breath a bit. "Fun. Let's not do that again today. Leg's acting up. So. What's next on the agenda?" John asked, shucking off the backpack and placing it (carefully) on the ground.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Beach Head nodded. He didn't ask about the leg. "Let's find out just your firearms skills are." He led him to the target range.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Should be pretty damn good," John said, making sure his gear was properly stowed. He'd brought enough to provide for almost any target test.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

There was just about every kind of firearm you could find in the armed forces arrayed at the range for to test John's prowess. "We'll start with what you brought, then move on."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Nice," John said, looking over at the firearms. "Just brought the basics," he said, unlocking his gun cases, bringing out his Colt 1911A pistols first before moving to the rifle and shotgun. "What range?"

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

"The longest you can do."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, let's see how bad I am," John said, taking sight at the longest range; he loaded the pistol, racked the slide, aimed, and fired off three round bursts.

They all hit the target, at rifle range, but all over the map. "I'm a bit better on a closer target," he said, shrugging.


[How much distance are we talking here? 30 yards? 50? 100?]

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

[Dude I don't know ranges :)]

"Then bring it in."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John smiled, and brought it in to the 50 yard mark. Fresh magazine, cocked, aimed.

Not quite all bullseyes, but in that center mass portion. "That's better." He grinned. "You don't do bowling pin shoots, do you?"


[ahahaha okay, time to wing it!]

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

bowling pin shots?

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

[5 pins on a card table, timed to knock all pins off the table. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4UVCQFI4W0&feature=related ]

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

"No we don't. Now let's see you on the rifle."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"All right." He emptied the .45s and put them on the table. He readied the rifle, sent the target out for 75 yards, and shot off half a dozen rounds.

Tighter grouping than the .45, touching the bullseye but not in the center.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Could be better, Beach Head thought, but he wasn't bad.

"You know how to use anything heavier?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Sure. Lemme switch here," he said, grabbing the shotgun and changing out the barrel. In a few minutes, he had a rifled-barrel shotgun firing slugs, not shot.

He sent the target out to 75 yards again, and shot off three rounds. He took his time a bit more, but the grouping was about the same as the rifle.

"Anything bigger, you'd have to provide," he said. "I'm not a sniper, but I've done it before."

He wouldn't say no to some range time with a .50 cal sniper rifle.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

There was indeed a sniper rifle available, as well as an AK-47, M-16, and a few more advanced model automatic rifles.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. John's grin could light up Denver as he made his way over to the sniper rifle.

He set the target out, aimed, and fired. "Okay, to the left." Aimed, and fired. "Droppage." Aimed, and fired. "Bingo." Bullseye.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

"Now see if you can do that again. Then we'll move to moving targets."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

Now that John had it dialed in, it was easier. The next three were bullseyes. "Moving targets are the fun part."

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

Beach Head hit a control and the targets began to move around the range, faster and faster as John went on.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John just grinned. The shots with the sniper rifle were all in the center mass but not quite bullseyes, but they were getting better the more John shot, taking the movement into account.

This would be fun with pistols, too, but in a minute.

[goodmom-baddad.livejournal.com]

fade there?

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

sure! Unless you want 80 more posts that would be summed up as "And John blew more shit up". :)