Lt Seth "C'mon sir! Push it, push it!" Johnson said running alongside the Lt How Johnson could speak was beyond him, Lt Seth was pushing himself to his very max sprinting across sand in Balad. Johnson was right beside him, seemingly unfazed. They finished their run, Lt Seth was leaned over on a crate, panting hard. He by any means was not a poor runner, but Johnson's running prowess seemed unreal. "Jesus....Christ man, how....the....fuck....are....you.....so.....fast?" Lt Seth panted looking up at Johnson. "Always been like that sir, just naturally fast I guess." Johnson replied "It probably helps that my strides are long, considering I'm not vertically challenged like you are sir." Johnson added, a smirk on his face. Lt Seth squared up to Johnson, the top of his head not even meeting the chin of Johnson's 6'4" frame. "Well, looks like I'm gonna have to make the kettlebell workout extra hard today" Lt Seth said, standing looking up at him, smirking slightly as Johnson's smile was wiped off his face. Several minutes later the duo headed back to their dorms, groaning. "Sir.....was that last bit absolutely necessary?" Johnson asked "Absolutely, being able to practice combatives after being worn out is extremely important." Lt Seth replied "Though I may have gone a tad bit overboard." "Shame you didn't realize that after the 10th time you judo flipped me" Johnson said somewhat snarkily "Shame you didn't git gud at preventing and countering them" retorted the Lt. "We'll talk more later, right now I need a shower" "Agreed sir" said Johnson "Hanging out in the TOC again?" Johnson asked. "As usual!!" The Lt shouted as he walked off The two split up, and Seth made for his dorm and grabbed a shower, yelping slightly at the cold. "Fucking hell" he muttered under his breath, steeling himself. After his shower, he brushed his teeth and shaved checking every inch of his face for errant stubble. If it were up to him he wouldn't shave every day or mandate it for his men, but unfortunately some whiny intel Major complained to his command staff about them. "Shame I look alright with some stubble" he thought to himself "And poor Baldwin wanted to grow a beard". He chuckled at the thought of them running round in full operator beards. He went to his room to get dressed, and dug around for some clean Multicam pants. He then came across the pair he wore in the raid. They were filthy, covered in dust and smelled like cordite, but the most noticeable filth on them was blood. The insurgent's blood was still splattered all over them, the Lt thought back to the incident and lamented on his massive fuckup. "Running my mouth like that, and calling her by *his* name" He muttered to himself. He looked to his nightstand and picked up a photo frame. Within it was an old unit photo, several Security Forces troops posed in front of vehicles. He lingered slightly on an airman that stood in the center row towards the right. A lone tear dripped down the Lt's face and stared at this young, bright face. "I'm so sorry Noveske" Nike Nike groggily awoke to the blaring siren of her alarm clock, she moved to turn off the incessant noise, moving too fast she dented the metal frame of the clock, her massive fingers imprinting in the metal. "Oh crap!" she said to herself, jumping up and quickly examining the device. "Oh thank god it still works" she sighed as she gingerly put it down. Nike got out of bed and stretched. Her hair was mess and her eyes were bleary. She had not slept well that night, she had kept tossing and turning throughout. She couldn't stop thinking about the events of the day prior. "I've got to give it a rest" she thought to herself. "I've got to focus on the team, focus on today and today's challenges." With that she put on a set of PT shorts to go with her shirt, and a set of flip flops and walked out of her barracks. Nike wasn't the only one out and about, the entire base was waking. Getting ready for a new day in country. Several other giantesses were also out and about. While Nike was one of two HFG's in country, there were several other giantesses in country. Almost all of them were members of the Corps of Engineers. At the beginning of the war they were the ones who set up the giantess section to Balad. Now they work on infrastructure repair, construction of FOB's, and base maintenance. However, with the rise in the intensity of the fighting it'd become too dangerous for these women to venture out of friendly territory. They often milled around the base, in a chronic state of anxiety and boredom. Nike looked back to her small ramshackle hut she called home. It was a one room, one floor building that was 50 feet by 50 feet. While cramped, it provided privacy and an air conditioner. Being an HFG Nike was entitled to some special privileges. Such as getting her own room in an actual building. Every other giantess stayed in a massive tent city. Circus tents colored desert tan had been set up, and these bleary-eyed behemoths of women could be seen exiting them and lining up for the latrines and the showers. Nike groggily entered the queue, she felt extremely grimy. After the airport raid she didn't have to opportunity to go to the showers and was still filthy from the events of the mission prior. She yawned as the sun rose over the vast desert expanse, squinting her massive eyes at the offending rays of light. Entering the shower area, she removed her PT gear, and wearing nothing but her flip flops went into the shower bay, with massive bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash in hand. She stood on the thin plastic floor of the shower, taking great care not to rip it (as many other giantesses had done before, as evident by the hasty repairs marked by swathes of duct tape). She grabbed the nozzle for her "shower" an old firehose, she twisted the knob and a blast of cold water spayed onto her. She recoiled slightly at the sensation. Bracing herself, she sprayed the ice cold water over herself. Following with large blobs of body wash. She then moved to wash her hair. Crouching slightly, she doused her head and hair under the stream of water. She, then set down the hose and rubbed a massive glob of shampoo into her hair, gently massaging her scalp. She sat there as water spewed onto her ankles and toes, deep in thought. The Lieutenant apologized, but why was he so quick to act the way he did that day? As he yelled at her, he called her someone else's name "Noveske......." She said to herself. Who was this person, and why did they cause the Lieutenant to freak out on her like that? Could this person have- "OH SHIT!!" a voice suddenly boomed next to her. Nike looked to her right and saw a giantess with a shower nozzle in her hands, looking dumbfounded. Not a second later water began spewing from the broken shower uncontrollably. "SHIT TURN OFF THE WATER, TURN OFF THE WATER!!" The giantess frantically shrieked as ice cold water jetted out, flooding the shower bay. Nike just stood there, watching, with shampoo still in her hair. "This is going to be a long day" She thought to herself. Lt Seth The Lieutenant walked over to the TOC. He'd dressed in multicam pants, a sand t-shirt and a baseball cap. As he entered the room he found Harris sitting in a chair playing a video game. "Hey Harris, what's up?" The Lieutenant asked as he pulled up a chair. "Nothing much sir, how was your morning?" He responded, focused on the game. "Alright just did some PT with Johnson" Lt Seth responded, a frown on his face. "Listen, pause the game for a sec." Harris complied and turned to the Lieutenant, a curious look on his face. "I realize I kind of went off on you at the airfield. I just wanted to apologize for that." The Lieutenant said. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten his outburst towards Harris. "It's fine sir...I realize that it was kind of wrong of me to ask what I asked." Harris responded "You really don't have to worry about us sir" a voice suddenly said fromm behind the duo. "We're just here to support you and follow your orders." The Lieutenant turned around to see Baldwin entering the room stretching slightly as he spoke. Baldwin nodded in greeting, and then looked to Harris. "Isn't that right Airman Harris?" Baldwin said. "Yes Senior Airman Baldwin" Harris said, gulping ever so slightly. With that he resumed his video game. The Lieutenant noted this exchange, but decided not to act upon his observations. Baldwin was one of the more senior enlisted on the team, and him correcting a young airman isn't something he needed to get involved in. Lt Seth leaned out over the balcony of the TOC looking at the vast empty room. Soon Johnson and Fuentes joined the group. Each setting up to do their own activities. Several minutes passed, and there was no sign of Nike. "Nike sure is late" the Lieutenant said, looking at his watch. "It's nearly 10:30 local, I wonder what's taking her so lo-" At that moment Nike came flying through the door, looking extremely disheveled. Her ACU's were half on her, her hair was still wet sprayed the team with droplets of water. The team jumped from the sudden arrival of the giant woman. "I..I'm sorry for being late sir" she panted. "There was flooding...over in the showers" "Take it a breath Nike you're fine." Lt Seth said. "You do realize you don't have to wear full ACU's every day right? Just the bottoms and a shirt of your choice is fine." Nike nodded frantically in response. "Nike, take it easy. Relax, you're not in trouble or anything like that." The Lieutenant said, trying to attempting the panicked giantess. This didn't seem to calm Nike down at all; she looked down, her face flushed. The Lieutenant attempted a different tack: "Take a seat, I'll be over in a sec." He exited the TOC, going down a set of stairs. He finally came to a door, which opened to Nike's portion of the TOC. The Lieutenant had never been here before, and it was an interesting experience to say the least. He walked towards a table several feet above his head. In front of him was an enormous boot, nervously tapping on the floor. The Lt looked up to find Nike staring down at him, he quickly looked around. "Uhh hey Nike, is there a ladder or something I can use to climb up?" He shouted up to her. "I don't think so sir" she responded, glancing around as well. Well shit. The Lieutenant thought to himself, he then looked back up to her "Well,could you pick me up and just put me on the table?" "A-are you sure sir?" Nike asked, looking back down at the Lieutenant. "Yes, just...CAREFULLY please" Lt Seth said somewhat nervously, eyeing Nike's descending hand. She nodded in response and carefully grasped the Lieutenant. He nervously clung to her fingers as she lifted him up off the ground, gently depositing him on the table. "Whew, well now that that's all over I think I've eared this." The Lieutenant said as he pulled out a corncob pipe and some tobacco. "Do you mind if I smoke?" He asked Nike. She shook her head "no" in response. "Excellent" Lt Seth said as he sat indian-style on the table. "So Corporal, tell me a little bit about yourself" he said as he packed the pipe. "Sir?" Nike asked visibly confused. "Well tell me anything, hobbies, favorite food, whatever." While this may be our first deployment me and the guys have connected pretty well with one and other. You on the other hand, showed up one day, trained with us, went on an op and we still don't know a damn thing about you." The Lieutenant said as he finished packing his pipe. "So Corporal, once again tell us about yourself, anything helps." He said as he lit his pipe. Nike Nike sat nervously in front of he Lieutenant. What on earth did he mean by "tell him about herself", why was he asking her to do this? She fidgeted as Lt Seth just sat there, puffing on his pipe. "Well....how about I talk about my first job?" she asked. "Well there you go, that's something." He responded in between puffs "Well....I was a baby sitter when I was 14." She replied "This couple had this toddler who was a bit of a handful." "Whoa, whoa, whoa" The Lieutenant said, interrupting her. "I get how you could help with a rowdy kid, but if you don't mind me saying: isn't that a bit overkill on the parent's part?" he asked. "She was a giantess sir, at four years old she was already 13 feet tall. It was safe to say that her parents couldn't control her." Nike responded, somewhat curtly. "Oh... my bad continue." "Her name was was Ama, she was a cute little thing" Nike said, her eyes glazing over. She'd always cling to me and call me "big sister"....she wasn't very nice to her parents though." The team rest of the team leaned on the balcony, now paying close attention to the giantess's story. "At first I'd go there after school to take care of her, I remember there'd be times where I'd save the parents from some near misses. This one time she was throwing a tantrum and nearly destroyed their car, another time she nearly broke her father's leg. I wasn't privy to everything that went on in that household but I got the feeling that they were both scared of each other." "They were BOTH scared of each other?" echoed Harris. "Yeah" Nike said, looking up to the team. "The parents were obviously intimidated by her, but Ama was always going on how she didn't want to be left alone or for her parents to leave her. She was still a four year old kid." Nike replied. "I started coming more and more, I'd go hang out on weekends and even sleep over at times. Ama eventually mellowed out and her parents became more at ease around her. I still talk to them whenever I...whenever I visit...home." Nike finished somewhat awkwardly. The Lieutenant raised his eyebrow at Nike’s stuttering finish. Nike’s previous relaxation during her story faded into her previous awkwardness. “Well, there we go! That’s something.” He jovially announced, much to Nike’s surprise. “We finally know something about you, you’re no longer some mystery chick anymore.” He took a breath “Nike, I’m sorry I had to pry it out of you like that. But you’ve got to relax and take it easy around us. We’re your team, we’re like a family to one and other.” The Lieutenant said, looking at Nike. Nike’s face flushed once again. God damn I’m dumb she thought. The Lieutenant was right. They work together, they’ll fight together they’ll rely on one another throughout this deployment. “Thank you sir, I’ll work on being less stiff around you guys.” The Lieutenant nodded in response, and then stood up “Now with that being all said and done, while I do mandate that we meet up for the morning it is now noon. You are all free to do what you want so long I don’t have to deal with paperwork tomorrow.” The team got up, moving towards the exit of the TOC. Lt Seth turned once more to Nike “Could you just put me over the railing? It’d be more convenient.” She did so, carefully picking the Lieutenant up around his midriff, and gently placed him over the railing on their side of the TOC. “Welp see ya” The Lieutenant said as he walked towards the TOC exit. Nike stood in there. As the Lieutenant was walking out Nike called out to him “Lieutenant Seth Sir!” He turned around and walked back in to address her “Yes Corporal?” “Do you mind if I stay here in the TOC? I’ve really got nothing to do.” Nike mumbled. She’d looked forward to spending some time with the team. In the days prior she’d often sit, cooped up in her barracks. Bored out of her mind. “I’ve got no problems with it, but if you’re looking for something to do I’ve got something to recommend.” Nike looked at him curiously “Hang out with some of the gals on your side of the base, I imagine you’re a bit lonely, if you don’t want to do that I suggest you read a book or something of that nature. We’re always here for you but you shouldn’t rely on us for entertainment.” He said somewhat seriously. Nike once again flushed “No sir I-I wasn’t thinking of you gu-“ “Relax Corporal I’m just yanking your chain, but real talk we’re somewhat inhibited due to our situation. You don’t seem like the loner type but there’s only so much we can do.” He said. “Well I do gotta go, DFAC fills up pretty quick. I’ll talk to you in a bit.” And with that the Lieutenant walked out of the TOC to his side of the camp. Read a book or make some friends. Lt Seth The Lieutenant walked out of the TOC, wincing slightly at the bright Iraqi sun, he was greeted by Johnson, who stood waiting for him. “ ‘Sup Johnson you got something for me?” The Lieutenant asked him. “Yes sir….don’t you think you’re paying too much attention to her?” Johnson asked as he walked beside Lt Seth “Not particularly, no.” the Lieutenant responded, attempting to face Johnson. Johnson’s back was directly behind the sun and the Lieutenant could only make out his silhouette against the unfiltered rays. “Sir…going out on the table to speak to her and asking for her life story and all…don’t you think that’ll ruin the team dynamic? You’ve treated her completely differently than any of the other team members.” The Lieutenant paused for a bit before replying “Johnson, how many people would we need usually to assault an airfield like Kerman?” The Lieutenant asked “I-I’m sorry sir?” Johnson replied, baffled. “Just answer the question.” “Well, I’d say in addition to us at the bare minimum a platoon of Rangers to assist with the assault. So minimum of 20 more guys sir, why do you ask?” “Because you’re forgetting a key point, we assaulted an airfield not with us five plus 20 Rangers. But us five plus her, so by your own logic Second Lieutenant, Nike is worth 20 men, Rangers no less. Without her we are combat ineffective, we’re done, can’t do a damn thing in this fight. So yes, of course I treat her differently than the rest of the team. Hell, just look at her she IS completely different than the rest of us!” The Lieutenant lectured. “Of course I should maintain the distance between us as an officer and enlisted, but the very notion of treating her like just another member of the team is idiotic.” Johnson gulped at the Lieutenant’s remark “I get where you’re coming from but you’ve got to understand that we are in a very unusual situation. A team attached to an HFG is completely different than a normal team. Not only in terms of the missions they can undertake, but the dynamic on both sides.” “What do you mean sir?” Johnson inquired, further puzzled by the Lieutenant’s exposition. “Well, for example take what happened back when you two were together.” The Lt Seth replied. “You were both caught up in an RPG blast, most would fall back and reassess, but she charged the motherfucker who shot you guys. I’ve heard stories of HFG’s jumping in front of RPG’s and machinegun fire to protect their teammates. It’s something about giantesses in general.” “Yeah I’ve heard that they’re very protective” Johnson replied; now having a firmer grasp on the information the Lieutenant was throwing at him. “Exactly, so in summary working with her is completely different than any of the shit you learnt in ROTC or in the pipeline. Granted, you do have to keep that boundary between an HFG and an Officer like you would any other troop, but paying special consideration to their mental health and wellbeing is also paramount. Because if she fails…” “We all fail” Johnson said as he held open the DFAC door for the Lieutenant. “Yup, now let’s get something to eat.” Nike Nike walked back to her side of the base pondering the Lieutenant’s words. Outside of her babysitting duties she’d had zero interaction with giantesses as a civilian. The last time she was last around them was in her training. But even then the maximum amount of giantesses there’d been was ten. But here they numbered in the hundreds. Where did she start? Who did she talk to? Maybe I’d be better off reading a book. She thought to herself as she headed to the mess tent. She then suddenly spotted another giantess; her hair was in tatters and her uniform in shambles. She groaned as she walked into the line “Why the hell do they even have those stupid showers? Why don’t we have baths?” Nike heard her grumble. All of a sudden it dawned on her. “YOU!” Nike shouted. The giantess jumped and gingerly turned around to face Nike, who walked up to her. “You’re the chick who destroyed the showers this morning!” Nike exclaimed “Ugh, I know listen I’m sorry about that” The giantess groaned as she had uttered this statement several times already. “Sorry?! You do realize you got me late right!” Nike’s face reddening at her humiliatingly disheveled entrance to the TOC. “Look I said I’m sorry Corporal what else can I do?!” The giantess said Nike gave the giantess a once-over. She was covered in sand and clay, with each movement earning a wince from her. Nike smirked after her assessment. “Well I see you’ve already been smoked a decent bit as punishment, haven’t you private.” Nike said somewhat snarkily. The private eyed her angrily, but held her tongue. “Yes Corporal, will that be all Corporal?” Nike pondered this slightly; she could very easily send this kid to the back of the line or smoke her for even longer. She mused with the idea of implementing some of the humiliating smoking techniques she underwent as an HFG. However, she remembered her previous blunder, coming in late and disheveled, and the Lieutenants levelheaded and even caring response. Nike sighed. “That will be all private.” Nike said as she got in line. Nike gradually plodded forward in the queue, slowly moving into the mess tent. She then picked up a tray and moved to get food. Her tray slowly gradually got filled by the ladles of the giantesses on KP, she then found a table and stared at the concoction that now inhabited her tray. There’s an old Army cadence about food in basic training that came to mind. “They say that at basic, the chow is mighty fine, a biscuit rolled off the table and killed a friend of mine.” Nike said as she gingerly picked up the biscuit that she was given. It was weighty and felt like a rock. She attempted to bite into it, and nearly chipped her tooth. What the heck is this? she thought to herself. If this did fall off the table it very might well kill a normal human. She set it down and began to gingerly analyzed the meat she was given. “Umm” Nike looked up to see the young private she chewed out standing in front of her. “May I sit here corporal?” Nike looked around to see all the other seats were taken. This girl looked exhausted, and Nike didn’t have the heart to send her away. “Sure” Nike halfheartedly invited. The giantess groaned as she sat down and then stared at her tray. “Goddamnit mystery meat again.” She sighed as she pulled a small green bottle out of her pocket. “What’s that?” Asked Nike. “Tabasco” The giantess responded as she shook the bottle several times. Dousing her food in the sauce. “It makes this crap almost bearable.” Nike returned to analyzing her own food with mild disgust. Mystery meat was quite honestly the most apt description she could find. She had no clue what it was, and part of her didn’t even want to know. She considered just chucking the portion of her meal but as if on cue her stomach grumbled. She sighed in defeat and grudgingly picked up her spoon and dug in. She noticed the giantess across from her eating with much more gusto and looked to her. “Could I try some of that? The Tabasco?” “Hmm?” She replied mid bite “Oh yeah, sure no problem Corporal” she said as she handed her the bottle.