Duty Calls

The Beginning of the End

As usual, "HE," got all the credit. Always casting a shadow too long and wide to overlook. In the military, you had to respect that. But as brothers, it was rather annoying. It all started when we were children. It was decided that we'd be given the same foster parents, since we were brothers, and splitting up wasn't even an option we considered. He was only 2 years older than I, and we were very close. He was a very fast learner, but i, always took a slower, more "direct" approach, if you will. i learned more thoroughly. Meaning that he would always look better at the beginning, and i would never get recognition. i was the sniper in our 2-man team. Yeah, 2 man team. Most of or superiors don't even understand how a star and someone "incompetent" as me could ever work as effectively as we do. Only our Major understands my abilities. and thankfully, my brother too, but he isn't humble enough to admit that i'm as good as i am. Can't have everything, right?

Back to the mission, i'm 18 hundred meters from the target. The plan is that we take out a corrupt African bureaucrat, who's bribing the government. All was going well, until the alarm sounded. "Shit, get out of there!" i yelled into the com.

"I'm trying!" he yelled back, a note of panic in his usually calm, composed voice that made others believe in him so. i ran ahead, sprinting fast as i could while simultaneously asking, "should i request some support?"

"No, i'm doing just fine! i just need a little more time for this to play out." That's when i hear the sound of some vans approaching. 'They know...' was all i could get out, before sniper fire was hailing in on me, seeming to know my exact location.

"Shit!" was all i could manage, before i had to throw my com, and move to the side, hoping desperately they didn't have thermal on my or my brother. I continued crawling towards them, trying to make myself as unpredictable as possible, when i heard an explosion. Rage boiled up in me when i figured out what happened. with strength and speed that wasn't possible for me to manage normally, I charged right at them. Now, in movies, people always seem to exaggerate Kevlar's effectiveness, but at this instant, i realized that it was not the Kevlar, but a burning mixture of love for my brother, and rage at those meaning to harm him. with the speed and strength of a thousand men, i barged into the metal door on the outside, my brain working stealthily while my body wouldn't comply.

"Come here you bastards!" i shouted, and started firing off rounds with my pistol at record speed and precision, that it seems my learning curve was made for. within seconds 12 men were down, and i knew my brother was safe. Another explosion snapped me out of it. walking over to where he lay, i shouted, "Come on! we need to get the fuck outta here!"

"Nah," he smiled. "I don't think there's much chance of that." his smile turned blood red and in horror, i saw several holes in not only his chest, but mine as well. knowing that our time had come at last, i knew that i had to make one final move. turning around, i picked up my brother's AR-15, and firing it randomly, killing a surprising amount of men, and not noticing that i was recieving an equal amount of oncoming bullets from them. My vision faded, but my smile didn't, knowing that my brother would be proud of me, and knowing that i proved my worth to my fellow officers.