A/N Hello, all! Consider this a/n a warning. This story will have heavy gore, it's a war based story after all. Some of the details might not be perfect, especially in a combat zone. I'll make it realistic as possible, with a hint of the divine. If I make a mistake, please let me know!
3rd PoV
I looked out the window of the bus, on my way to MCRT, or more commonly known as basic training or boot camp, thinking about how I got here.
Flashback
It all started when I caught Jason and Annabeth kissing at Zeus's fist. I immediately broke things off and left her in the woods, crying. Jason and Annabeth started rumors around camp that I was cheating on Annabeth with Piper, who I barely talked to because of our differences in personality and interests. After I came out of Tartarus, I was much different. I was quieter and I laughed less often. I knew I wasn't as open anymore and I spent most of my time training.
Slowly but surely, I started getting dirty looks from most everyone as they bought into Annabeth and Jason's lies. After the wars the only person who I could open up to anymore was Clarisse, my sparring partner. Given we were far from close, but we were friends.
I had spoken with Ares after the war, because the gods decided I needed to be able to talk to someone about the horrors of Tartarus and who better than the god of war and destruction? Well, the answer is Dionysus, but I refuse to talk to him for any longer than absolutely necessary. We talked and came to a mutual respect of each other. We looked passed our grudge, sharing stories and just talking about our experiences. Something I found out is that Ares leads PTSD Veteran groups all around the world, helping people cope with the traumas of war.
I had enough of camp after close to six months of dealing with everyone. What was the final straw was when even Chiron wouldn't talk to me with anything but commands and one word responses. I packed my bags and headed out of camp, where Clarisse stopped me until she could go back to her cabin and get a backpack and join me.
Her reasoning being, "Your stupid ass would get yourself killed within the first week."
I laughed and we left and headed to my parents house to get our shit together and decide what to do next. We arrived and were stopped by a police tape surrounding the apartment building. After tracking down the nearest police officer, it turns out the entire building was destroyed by a brick of C4 attached to one of the main supports. This was connected to close to twenty other locations were military officials also lived. It's currently believed to be a terrorist attack by Isis. We stumbled and ran off, before coming to a stop and Clarisse and I decided on what to do next.
We immediately headed to the recruiter's office and talked to a Marine recruiter. A quick prayer to Ares and we were fast tracked to MEPs that afternoon and spent the night in a military hotel. The next day we took our physicals and swore our oaths. That night we went back to the hotel and went to bed. The next day we were on a plane headed to Hilton Head airport, before we got on the Marine Corps bus to Parris Island.
Flashback end
The bus came to a stop, and as the adrenaline started pumping I looked over at Clarisse and we nodded to each other, an unsaid "Let's do this". The bus door opened and a Drill Instructor made his way up the stairs of the old bus, and boy oh boy, he was one hell of a sight. He wasn't tall, 5'10, but he was built like a brick house, bulging muscles and every movement was measured. He screamed discipline. Everyone sat up a bit straighter and he started to speak, his voice froggy from screaming so much.
He started off yelling, "Sit up straight and look at me right now. Respond with aye aye sir."
Everyone responded in offset unison. "Aye aye sir."
He glared harder and yelled louder. "I said Respond!"
We screamed louder, "Aye aye sir!"
"Louder!"
"Aye aye sir!"
"You're a future Marine, you better act like it. I'm Gunnery Sergeant Vargas, welcome to the USMCRD Parris Island. You are now aboard Marine Corps Recruiting Depot of Parris Island. From this point forward, the only words out of your mouths will be yes sir, no sir, and aye aye sir, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"I said do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"When you are responding to a female, you will respond with ma'am or no ma'am, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"The words I, me, or my, will not be in your vocabulary, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"You will refer to yourself as 'this recruit', do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Then get the hell off my bus!"
We ran out of the bus onto our first steps as a Marine, on the yellow footprints.
Timeskip
I finished the PFT, doing 30 pull ups in 3 minutes, 117 crunches in 3 minutes, and a 17:02 three mile run. I finished the run and collapsed once I was off the track. A drill instructor approached me and I shakily got to my feet and stood at parade rest.
He looked at the clipboard he held and spoke. "You just scored higher than one hundred percent in each PFT category, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"You know this means you're in the top 1% of all Marines, physically?"
"Yes sir!"
He looked at me for a second before nodding slowly. "Drink, recruit. Stay here."
"Aye aye, sir!"
He left and I started stretching out and getting water. When he came back, everyone was finished with the run. He handed me a seven foot long wood pole with a red flag at the top with the number 1035 sown in gold.
"Recruit Jackson here, just scored over 100% on the PFT and will be your guide. He will be your in-charge recruit. If I am not there, defer to him. If you have a problem with it, solve it with him. If it goes beyond him, let me know. If I think it's stupid, I'll smoke the shit out of you and send you crawling to bed, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
He handed me the guidon and spoke to me. "Other platoons will try to steal the guidon. If you lose this guidon, I'll tear you a second asshole. If the flag touches the ground for any reason, I'll tear you a third. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"After showers, stand at the end of your rack. I'll be taking you to teach you guidon basics, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"Good, now fuck off."
"Aye aye, sir!"
Timeskip
I had just finished the O-course with the platoon guidon and was screaming encouragement at others, as was my job as recruit platoon guide. I carried that guidon like it was my child and treated it as such. If that flag touched the ground, my nose would too, with at least a hundred pushups if the drill instructor was in a good mood.
I planted the guidon and screamed, "Semper Fi, Hoorah!"
The drill instructor looked at me somewhat shocked. "Good job, recruit. That was the record for obstacle course. You will see me at twelve chow, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"Good, now fuck off."
"Aye aye, sir!"
Timeskip
"You just shot a score of three-thirty five, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"That qualifies you as an Expert Marksman, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"With all of your scores, you are in the top .01% of the Marine Corps, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"Because of this, the Sergeant Major and CG will speak with you tomorrow morning, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"If you start walking around like your shit doesn't stink I'll smoke your ass like grass, do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"Go away."
"Aye aye, sir!"
Timeskip
I stood in front of the commanding general's desk at the position of attention. After a few seconds, he told me to sit down.
"It's nice to meet the recruit I've heard so much about personally. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Pattay and this is Sergeant Major DiCosimo. Because of your outstanding performance, we'd like to offer you a chance to change your MOS. at the time of contract, you said 'give me whatever can get me there fastest.' Right now, you're an accountant, stationed in San Diego, processing recruits."
He saw my look of indignation and smiled. "What I'd like to offer, is to become a 0372, or a Critical Skills Operator. Better known as the Raiders. The most elite of the Marines."
I thought for a second. "Under one conditon, sir."
He cocked an eyebrow. "And what condition is that?"
"I would like the opportunity to be provided to recruit LaRue."
"He went through his files until he found her, "She's a female. The 0372 isn't available to women yet."
"I'm aware, sir. I know how many exceptions the military can make if they want someone bad enough. I'm not asking for a bonus or anything but to give her the chance, sir."
He looked at me for a while before leaning back in his chair. "Why do you want her so badly?"
"She's my best friend. Well, my only friend from before the Marine Corps, sir."
"How is that? An athletic and good man such as yourself has to have made some friends."
"Fights and disrespect drove most of them away. She's my family, sir."
"What do you mean?"
"We enlisted at the same time. She was living with my family and I after her father kicked her out of the house because she wanted to enlist in the marines. We were at a gym on a Saturday and my parents and baby sister were home. I just so happened to live in the same apartment building as a General at the pentagon."
A look of realization crossed his face. "During the terrorist attack that blew up 21 buildings, all of which were locations were Generals were known to live."
I nodded, "None of my family survived. I don't have any extended family members and my birth father disappeared after I was born, so I don't even know if he's alive."
They were silent for a while and Sergeant Major spoke, somewhat softly. "I don't think we'd have too much trouble waiving recruit LaRue's gender. What do you think, sir?"
He nodded, "That can be arranged."
He picked up his desk phone and called his secretary. "Melinda? Yeah, will you get Recruit LaRue, Clarisse to my office please?"
A few minutes later, Clarisse showed up in the office. She was told to sit and gave me a smile. He explained to her what was going on, leaving Clarisse in a shocked silence.
Clarisse spoke, "Do you mind if we talk about this in private for a moment?"
He nodded and Clarisse and I stood and left the office. Outside the office, she pulled me into a hug, which I reciprocated after getting over my shock.
She gave me a beaming smile, "Thank you, so much. I know I'm saying yes. What about you?"
I grinned, "I'll follow you anywhere."
We walked back into the office and sat down, the colonel raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, "So, have you come to a decision?"
Clarisse took a deep breath, "Yes sir. I accept."
I grinned, "I accept as well, sir."
He gave a smile and stood, prompting all of us to do the same. He held his hand out and we shook it, which was followed by Sergeant Major. "Congratulations on becoming a part of the best fighting force, of the best fighting force in the world."
We shared pleasantries before being sent back to our platoons. She shot me a grin and I shot her a wink, before running back to the platoon.
Linebreak
We had just finished basic and our MOSs were being announced.
"Duncan! 0311, infantry."
"Ericson! 0231, intelligence specialist."
"Gabany! 0331, machine gunner."
"Gableman! 0311, infantry assaultman."
"Hoffman! 0341, mortarman."
"Iccarino! 0613, construction wireman."
"Jackson, Andrew! 0811, field artillery cannoneer."
"Jackson, Perseus! 0372, Marine raider."
The list continued and we all packed up to leave. We cleared out of the barracks, hugging everyone and saying our premature goodbyes, incase we wouldn't see each other at graduation. We formed up and marched to the parade field, just like we had been practicing for the last three days. As we marched, I let my mind wander over everything we've done. Meeting our drill instructor, the rifleman's creed, the firing range, The Crucible, the warrior's breakfast, and now graduation.
I snapped back to attention and presented arms, before handing off the guidon to my drill instructor. Everything flew by after that and soon enough, we were released from formation. I had climbed the bleachers and was overlooking the BMT camp. I had joined the most elite fighting force in the world and I was damn proud of it.