Chapter Text
On the snow-swept tarmac of Ramienstien Air Force base, the men and women of the 2nd Light CyberCavlary regiment sat waiting for the order to board their VTOLs. The VTOLs were officially called the V-38, but everyone called it the Razorwing due to the distinct shape of its wings, which were shaped like razors.
Bravo squad was by their designated VTOL, assault rifles sung over their backs. While it was cold, it didn't affect them due to a combination of wearing their winter uniforms and their cybernetic enhancements.
"So Mike, how does it feel being in your ancestral homeland?" The orange tabby-Abyssinian mix known as Jack asked in a half-joking tone.
Mike glared at him and, in a deadpan tone, replied, "Ill have you know the Korat homeland is in Austria."
"Meh, Austria is discount Germany."
Mike couldn't disagree with that assertion.
The rest of his squad was also on the tarmac. Goldie was leaning against the VTOL, looking bored out of her mind. Kizuna was playing around as usual, being in a snowball fight with the members of another squad. Carson was doing his hair, struggling to keep it looking nice against the snowfall.
The unit was in Germany, training new special forces for the country. The previous special forces had been disbanded after it had been discovered there was a Neo-Nazi conspiracy to overthrow the government in the special forces. This had been the third time it had happened in ten years.
"How long until something like this happens again?" Jack asked in a mock-curious tone.
"5 years top"
"Well for now at least we get to go home right?"
Home.
If you were to ask Mike where his home was, he would tell you he didn't have one. The closest thing he had to a home was his parent's house in Roseville, but he hadn't been there since departing for basic training at the age of eighteen, and he dreaded returning. This was not to say Mike disliked his family. On the contrary, whenever they were planning to have a vacation, he would immediately request leave, but he had done too much to go back to Roseville again.
Mike remembered all the friends back there he had wronged.
Daisy.
She had been the only one from his old friend group that kept in touch with him after High School. But why? Mike would ask himself frequently. He knew it was because Daisy had always been his biggest supporter, but He didn't deserve it.
Sue.
It was obvious she hated him after Taekwondo practice, and despite his best efforts to apologize, he couldn't repair their friendship. He deserved it, he supposed, after lashing out at her for only trying to help.
Paulo.
Their relationship slowly disintegrated through their junior and senior years as fights between them became increasingly common. The final straw came when Mike told him his plan to join the Army.
Fine, wanna throw your life away?!
Lucy.
Just thinking of her made Mike want to cry. They had once been best friends, and he threw that away and made her jump off a building over a long-distance girlfriend who was cheating on him the entire time. Mike deserved Lucy's hatred, and he knew it. Mike remembered his last conversation with her before he left for basic training.
I'll say go to hell, Mike, but considering what you're joining, it looks like you're going there yourself.
And now he was heading back to Roseville. Not that he wanted to, but Mike had to. The entire regiment had been given three days' leave for Christmas, and most were understandably excited and happy about it, except for Kizuna because her family wouldn’t be home, but Mike was nervous. What if he ran into his old friends? What would they think about what he had become?
As the Korat began going through scenarios in his head, Jack laid his hand on Mike's shoulder and asked with concern in his voice, "Mike, you good?"
"Yeah sorry, I just got lost in my thoughts."
"It's fine, no need to apologize."
Mike just nodded his head in response as Daisy said back in Junior year, he was too nice. Not that he could help it.
Just then, the speakers at the air base started blaring, "Attention!, all members of the 2nd Light CyberCavalry Regiment you are authorized to start boarding."
"Finally," Mike heard Goldie mutter under her breath.
The members of Bravo Squad picked up their backpacks and slung them on their backs. The bottom of the backpacks was soggy from sitting in the snow, but the squad didn't care. They boarded the VTOL from the back and sat down in the front. Next to Mike were Goldie and Kizuna, with Jack and Carson sitting in front of them.
Another squad came onboard and sat down, which was followed by a six-man anti-tank squad. After this, the back door of the VTOL shut, and for a brief moment, they were left in darkness before the lights turned on.
After five minutes of waiting, Mike heard the gears start to grind as the wings shifted into take-off position, and soon after, the engines began to whine to life. The whine quickly turned into a roar as the VTOL lifted off the ground, and the men and women of the 2nd Light CyberCavlary regiment were heading home.
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With a gentle thud, the V-38 VTOL touched down at William Kilgore Army Airfield in Maine. The engines began to whine down, and the back door dropped open, revealing the dark snow-covered tarmac.
The Korat, known as Mike, was still sleeping, so his squad captain, a black cat with gold hair called Goldie, woke him up by shaking him on the shoulder. "Hey, wake up lieutenant Mike we’re here."
"Guh," Mike groaned as he got up.
The VTOL emptied, and the Bravo Squad stepped out onto the tarmac. The sirens of the base were screaming out, "Attention! all members of the 2nd Light CyberCavlary regiment, head to the barracks and change into civilian clothing, and then you will receive your charter flight tickets!"
Mike already knew that none of his comrades would be on the same charter flight as him. Goldie, Kizuna, and Carson lived on the West Coast, and Jack lived in Detroit.
As they marched in the falling snow to the barracks, the members of the 5th Heavy CyberCavlary regiment headed to their VTOLs. The heavy cybercavlary were built like walking tanks, everything down from their necks was cybernetic, making the light cybercavlarys modifications look tame in comparison.
"Looks like the eunuchs are heading out." Jack said, prompting a chuckle from the rest of Bravo Squad.
After five minutes of marching, the regiment arrived at their barracks and headed inside. Kizuna and Golide exchanged goodbyes to Mike, Jack, and Carson before heading off to the female side of the barracks.
Mike, Jack, and Carson, along with a bunch of other soldiers entered one of the men's rooms of the barracks. The room was bare except for the beds, lockers, and the emblem of the regiment, a blue atom crossed with a sword plastered on the wall in the back.
Mike headed to his locker and put his backpack down before opening the rifle case in his locker and placing his assault rifle inside. After that, he began changing, putting his winter military uniform on the hanger. Then the green-eyed cat changed into his civilian clothes. It was a dark blue jacket with a red T-shirt underneath and black sweatpants. Finally, he opened his backpack and took out a light blue scarf, the same one Mike had had for so long, and wrapped it around his neck.
Jack came up behind him and said, "See you in three days, Mike." I
"Bye see you."
Jack then walked out of the room.
Grabbing his phone from the backpack, Mike texted his mom, "Just arrived at base, see you soon!" before placing it in his scarf.
Picking up his backpack, Mike headed out of the room and into the hallway. As soon as he exited the room, he ran into his regiment commander. His regiment commander was a white cat with black hair and green eyes, and he was known as Liam.
Liam handed Mike two tickets and said, "One of them is for your charter flight to New York, and the other one is for your flight to Roseville-Maraschino National. Have a good Christmas, Mike."
"You too," Mike said as he walked off.
Walking outside, Mike found there was a line for buses taking the soldiers to their charter flights. Mike got in line and, after about fifteen minutes of waiting, was on the bus.
As the bus sped along, dropping people off, Mike felt the feeling of nervousness in his stomach. While he planned to avoid his former friends back in Roseville, except for Daisy, Mike could not help but feel concerned.
His internal monologue was interrupted by the bus arriving at his plane. Mike got off the bus and boarded the plane via some stairs.
The plane was small, with two tiny engines, near the tail. Despite its tiny size, Mike found that the plane was only half full, and after checking his ticket, he sat down at a window seat with no one next to him.
After sitting down, Mike heard his phone buzz in his scarf. Pulling it out, he found his mom had texted him back. "Great! Can't wait to see you again!" Mike smiled before putting his phone back in his scarf.
Not long after that, the plane doors closed, and soon, the mini aircraft began taxiing to the runway. Less than five minutes later, Mike heard the engines roar to life as the plane thundered down the snow-covered runway. The aircraft lifted off the ground, and Mike quickly fell asleep, his head resting against the open window.
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The inside of Roseville-Maraschino National Airport was deserted except for a janitor and a few late travelers. One of those was a half-metal green-eyed Korat called Mike.
He sat on one of those benches next to the exit, eyes lazily looking at the TV screen.
The TV was playing cable news, and the current topic of discussion was the recent takeover of Russia by Damien Thorn and his organization, The Vanguard. Mike, quite frankly, didn't care much. Thorn wasn't going to pose any threat for a while, plus he got out of Ukraine, so how bad could he be?
The issue then switched to whether or not pethood should be abolished.
Just as this happened, Mike felt his phone buzz in his scarf, and he got it out to check it. On the phone was a message from his mom that said, "We're here!" Mike smiled and got up, heading outside.
It was incredibly dark outside, befitting, of the late-hour snow was falling, and it would have been freezing for most people. Not Mike, though, thanks to his cybernetic implants.
Mike saw his mom's car, a grey SUV. Charging from the car was his mother. The elderly Korat crashed into Mike, hugging the half-metal cat, taking him by surprise. Despite this, Mike quickly returned the hug, and the two cats stood hugging each other in the falling snow.