fandomhigh | Battlefield Tactics, Thursday

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Battlefield Tactics, Thursday

"Millenia ago, about one point five thousand Greeks took on an army of 300,000 at a place called Thermopylae," Kerrigan began. "It's one of the most famous battles of this planet's history, although you'll probably hear it trumphed up to be three hundred against 800,000, or whatever other figure people have pulled out of their asses that day."

She stood in front of a large pass, nearly unending cliff faces sticking far out into the sky on either side of her. "They'd started with a significantly bigger force, at about seven thousand, but it was obvious they were fucked either way. Holding the pass meant the rest of their army had time to retreat, and try more fruitful battles. In the end, they beat the guys back at Salamis, but not before pretty much everyone in the pass got killed."

She twisted a smile at the students gathered. "I get there's not three hundred of you, let alone one point five thousand," she said, "But sometimes you have to know how to keep the doors shut. This time, your enemies won't be armed with guns, just spears and swords and arrows, all that old shit. Safeties are on, but if you get 'mortally wounded', the Danger Shop is going to give you a red glow so you know you have to depart."

With that, she turned. "Find a good partner," she said, dryly, "You'll live longer."

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"A thrust and pull weapon," Zack noted, nodding a little. "We have guns and grenades back home, too. But those are infantry weapons. SOLDIER is something different entirely."

SOLDIER was better, thank you.

"Different how?" Proto asked curiously as he hefted the spear to find its balance.

"We're just..." Zack groped around for a moment for a word that wouldn't sound as though he was boasting his superiority, here. And, failing that, he shrugged a little. "We're made for hands-on physical combat. Essentially, we're tanks. We're just faster and far more manoeuvrable than an actual tank is."

"Modified?" Proto asked. "Sounds pretty useful."

Modified! It was... not exactly the word that Zack had been looking for, but he was the kid with the slot machine in his brain, so he wasn't going to say that it was entirely inaccurate, either.

"It is useful," he replied. "It takes fifty infantrymen to do what one SOLDIER can do." And then he cracked a bit of a grin. "So, let's see how these invader guys stand up to the two of us, huh?"

Proto laughed. "Sounds like I can just take a nap and let you do all the work."

"Well, probably," Zack replied, laughing as be braced himself against the oncoming horde. "But then you wouldn't be learning anything."

Cocky puppy.

"But I'd be well rested," Proto countered. Still, he stood three or four feet behind Zack and gripped his spear.

Zack might not be as good as he thought, after all.

And getting yelled at by Kerrigan for slacking off was something he'd prefer to avoid even if Zack was that good.

For Zack's part, this whole 'hold off the oncoming horde' thing was kind of old-hat. The only difference between this and things that he'd already done back home was that these guys were armed with swords and spears instead of halberds and gunblades, and arrows in the place of bullets and grenades and missiles and materia...

Zack also didn't have his DMW on the spin at the moment. He didn't think it would be the greatest plan, accidentally summoning Ifrit to do their dirty work, here.

All-in-all, he was fending the enemy off admirably and with a grin on his face, laughing merrily every time several of them thought they could take him down at once.

And, as he'd promised, he was even saving some for Proto. Because he was a very show-offish ~~GaryStu~~ SOLDIER, okay?

Proto stood ready, waiting for someone to slip by.

But that got boring after a while, so he propped his spear on the ground and leaned on it in boredom. He didn't actually fall asleep, though he had been a soldier (not all-caps version) long enough to be able to do that while standing.

He did watch, though. Zack was good. Very, very good. He could probably take out one of those Red Guardsmen. Maybe he and Makita should invite Zack to visit. Maybe they could even convince the Elders that it was a good idea.

Okay. Probably not. Still, it was a nice thought imagining all those guys Zack was taking out were Red troops.

Zack would have had a heyday taking down Red Troops. Just point him in the right direction, get him a little wound up, and let him go at it!

Like one of those wind-up monkeys with the chattery teeth and the cymbals. But cuter and more dangerous.

"How are you doing, back there?"

Bored, Zack. He was probably bored.

"No injuries yet." That was probably a joke. At least it sounded amused enough to be one.

"Well, that's good news!" Zack's sword flashed upward, neatly splintering an oncoming arrow while he kicked his foot up into the guts of an oncoming swordsman. "I'd hate to be stuck doing this all on my own!"

... Zack.

"Yeah," Proto somehow managed to say with a straight face. "It's a good thing I'm here to watch your back, right?"

"You're doing a good job so far!"

The sad thing was that Zack was still completely sincere. And standing to his knees in fallen bodies, now.

"Nothing's gone for my back yet, not even once!"

"Well, I've been a soldier for a while now," Proto pointed out. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a book of matches.

"I haven't even worked up a sweat you know," he added as he lit up.

Aw, and Zack had been doing so well, too! He just narrowly avoided a spear ot the ribs as he looked back at Proto, an eyebrow raised.

"Dude." Dude, Zack? "Are you smoking in class?"

He wasn't certain if he was supposed to be appalled about that, or impressed that anyone had the time to light up in the middle of a battleground.

"Is there a rule against it?" Proto asked calmly. He didn't shift his grip on the spear since even though Zack seemed distracted, he still seemed to have things well in control. Though that guy rushing him might get through...?

Probably not.

"I'm-" Zack grunted a little as he stooped down hard and fast, introducing his shoulder armor to the face of that guy who seemed like he was in a bit of a hurry to get by. "-Pretty sure there's a rule, yeah."

Not like he had a rulebook in his pocket or anything, but, well...

Granted, Midgar's everyday air was plenty worse than this.

"Huh." Proto considered the cigarette. "I don't want to break the rules." Or... something.

"But the teacher will probably tell me if I am, right?" Though... come to think of it... He didn't really want Kerrigan to tell him off for breaking rules. It'd probably hurt.

Okay. Now he was sort of worrying.

Zack didn't have his Assault Twister materia equipped, because he didn't have any slots to equip it to, but that wasn't going to stop him from executing an impressive spin that took three more attackers down in one fell swoop.

It was more fun making up his own special attacks anyhow!

"Yeah, but do you really want her to?"

Zack didn't see anything the matter with Kerrigan at all! But he wasn't a big fan of detentions, either.

"Er. No. Good point."

It wasn't that Proto was scared of Kerrigan. Or intimidated by her.

Except for the part where he was.

He flicked the cigarette toward the still-coming army. Look! He was totally contributing to the fight!

One of the oncoming soldiers totally just got a lit cigarette down the front of their armor.

"Nice shot!" Zack approved. Heck, he was laughing a little at the 'burning undergarments' dance that was going on a few feet away.

Best. Class. Ever.

Proto shook his head and couldn't help but grin. "Thanks."

Even he had to admit that that was pretty funny. Even if it was unintentional.

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Battlefield Tactics, Thursday

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