Alexis Hawkins
(May 2006, Chicago)The young bald eagle sat at the small table in the courtroom. That was the sixth time in as many months she had sat in that vary chair. the judge had his usual stern expression as he looked through her charges. "Miss. Hawkins, I am getting tired of seeing you in my court room. From what I can tell Nothing we have tried up to this point is working for you. Your violent outbursts are becoming a major issue." He sat the papers down on his bench. "This is the sixth offense, and this time you have gone too far young lady.""But, jour honor. Dey was..." Alexis started to explain before she was interrupted."I understand that you think you were doing the right thing. The issue here is your method. You can not go around picking fights with everyone you think is doing something wrong. That is why we have laws and police officers."She rocked to her feet and slamed her fists on the table. "Jer fuckin' kiddin' me. I's sposed ta watch some kid get 'is ass beat by a bunch a guys twice 'is size and wait fer the cop ta get dere. Fuck Dat shit."The judge looked over at her court appointed attorney. "You need to control your client.""Your honor," the young bobcat spoke as he placed a paw in Alex's wing, "I have a plea deal that may be suiting to this situation. Alex is a good kid, just misguided. Over the past three years she has fancied herself a hero for the weaker children around her. I would like to offer the state a compromise that will be fitting her poor judgement, and point her in a better, more structured direction in life."The older mongoose at the far table looked at the bobcat angrily. "Why did you not bring this up before we got this far?" the bobcat returned his opponents stair. "My client refuses to accept the offer, But I feel it s in the greater good of my client and the state for this offer to be heard. Instead of sending her into any confinement, I would like to suggest we drop all charges in this matter if Miss. Alexis Hawkins agrees to join the army for a term of no less than four years.""I ain't gonna do it. Jus' gi'me da community service or w'at eva," she blurted out.The judge looked down at Alex. "I dont think you understand the situation this time, Miss Hawkins. You are now eighteen and a repeat offender. There is no more community service for you. you will spend a minimum of six months for this assault if you are found guilty."She dropped back into the chair as the anger rolled across her face. "W'at eva, it'll ge' me ouda dis shit hole." "Does that mean you agree to the terms Miss. Hawkins?""W'at eva. Les jus' get dis ova wit'."The judge called the two counselors to the bench. "Ok, nice approach there Rusel. Get her out of your district into someone elses hair.""I really think she just needs the structure. She has lacked that in her home, and filed in the void with the martial arts. With what is happening right now, people with her skills are needed by our armed services. I just want to point her in the right direction.""Is this arrangement acceptable to you Keith?" the judge asked the mongoose."I will allow it only if she is off the streets until she is shipped out to the service.""I agree. Russel, your client will be remanded to custody until she is fully enlisted and in transit to her first training assignment.""I'll live with that your honor."The two attorneys returned to their places as the judge pounded his gavel hard on the small wooden puck. "Miss. Hawkins. You will be remanded to custody until such time that you have enlisted in a military service of your choice and left for your first assignment.""Dat ain't w'at I agreed ta.""Miss. Hawkins, your choices are that or spend the next eighteen months in custody waiting for a full trial.""Fucet! jus' take me back ta my cell." Alex stood and walked to the bailiff. "Comon, Fredd, i wana ge' back befer lunch, it's burga day."(June 2006, Military Entry Processing Center)General Helfgrad stood outside the security office as he looked through the glass window at the eagle cuffed the the chair inside. "Tell me again why you have this young lady restrained," the badger asked quizzically."She assaulted five recruits. We had to use three men to pull her off of them, sir.""Vhat did zey do to provoke her?""That's the issue, Sir, She is here on a service or jail for violent outbursts like this We have already called the local authorities to have her taken into custody and removed from out rosters.""I vant to talk to her first.""Yes, Sir," the young MP followed the general's order without questing. He opened the door and shouted an order to bring the room to attention as the general walked into the room.The badger left all the soldiers in the room standing rigid and unmoving as he approached the eagle. He pulled a chair from behind one of the standing troops and sat in front of her. "Vhat is your name younk lady?""Ya ain't all figured it out ye'? I done been 'ere fer tree 'ours an' everyone done as' me dat already." She looked at the older badger as she continued, "Alex 'awkins""Vell, Privet Hawkins, vhat are you goink to do in zee army?""I ain't gonna be notin'. Day said dose pussies ou' dere done fucked dat up an' I'm gonin' back to jail.""Tell me vhat happent, and I vill decide who is goink Vhere.""Da fuckers 'ad a lill sparrow cornered picken on 'er. I tol' dem to leave 'er alone. Dey said ta make 'em, so I did. No' my fault dey a bunch a pussies."The general turned to one of the soldiers and said, "Brink me zee sparrow." The troop snapped a salute and ran out of the room. "Okay zen, vhat vas it you vere signink up to be again?""I done tol' ya, dey sendin' me back, dis was bullshit from da start.""Vatch your tonkue younk lady. And I said I vill decide who is goink home." He looked into her golden eyes as he asked again, "Vhat are you joinink to be?""Fine!" she said in frustration, "Bomb disposal."As Alex finally spotted out the answer the general was looking for the soldier returned with the sparrow as requested. "Ah, no vee get some ansvers," the general said as a smile crossed his muzzle. "Younk lady, vhat is your name?" he asked the smaller bird.The sparrow stood only five feet tall. and fidgeted nervously as she answered, "Sasha Velash, Sir.""Private Velash, Please tell me vhat happent to get zis younk recruit in trouble." Helfgrad turned to face her as he questioned the sparrow."She.. she didn't do anything wrong. Not to start. She just asked the guys to leave me alone." she stammered as she spoke. "Then the went after her..." Sasha trailed off as she finished her thought."Vell now. Self defence is an acceptable. How come noone told me it vas self defense?""Sir, she broke two arms, dislocated shoulders and broken noses. The used excessive force, sir." The soldier stood rigid not moving as she spoke. "According to other witnesses, she throw the first punch."The general looked to the sparrow and asked, "Is zat true, Private Velash? Did she throw zee first punch?""I-i don't know, sir." the sparrow said. Her eyes darted to the others in the room looking for the right answer before they feel on Alex's golden orbs. She watched as Alex nodded her head. "Sir, she throw the first punch." "Brink me the security footage." both girls eye went wide as they were unsure who would be thought of as lying.Before any soldier could move, alex jumped up from the chair, "Dere ain't no need fer dat. I trow da firs' punchshe didn' do nothin' dey were fuc... messen' wit' 'er an' when she axed dem ta stop an' dey didn't I jus'..." As she spoke teh security troops shot from their positions to restrain the eagle. "Fuck dis shit, I'm don' 'ere anyway." She used the chair she was cuffed to in one hand, swinging it into any that approached close enough to strike. As the scene commenced the general stood, placed a hand on the sparrow, and pushed her behind him. He looked over at one of the officers and said, "You just goink to let her make your men look like fools? Who cuffed her to zee chair?" He watched as one soldier pulled out a stun gun and shot the eagle, bringing her to the ground. "Vere is my security footage?" with his final question he walked out of the room, leaving the group to deal with the situation. The sparrow followed the general out of the office as the eagle struggled against the soldiers. She watched as he stopped and asked her, "Vell?""She is exactly what you are looking for, sir." the sparrow replied, "She is rough around the edges but I think Sergeant Fargo can hammer those out.""Zank you, Sergeant Velash." He looked at the sparrow and asked, "How do you become a target like zat?""I was following orders, investigating the recruits for potential operations skills." A little smile crossed her face as she continued, "The little show was completely unplanned, sir. She was not even on my list of potentials. She tested today, here on a service or jail pleebargan. I just happen to attract the riff raff she
goes after.""Very vell zen. Make sure she has pinpoint orders." "Yes, sir." The sparrow turned down a hall as the Badger continued to walk out of the building.(August 2006)Alex followed the group of recruits through the airport. All the others had thickly packed carry ons and waited for the check baggage to be unloaded. She only had the cloths on her back for this trip. She had spent the past two months in custody at the city jail. During that time she was not visited once by her mother or father, not that she expected them to give up any of their precious time for her. they still blamed her for Ashen's death. She had spend six months in the juvenile correction center for the incident. Now she had nothing and was headed to the next four years of her life as a slave to the system. At least now she only had three more months until she could do what she wanted again.She She stood by the military escort as they waited for the others to join them. The hoary bat was dressed in the common digital green DCU uniform and stood five foot nine inches tall. He looked at Alex eye-to-eye. He asked her, "Don't you have a bag to get young lady?""I didn' brin' brin' nuten, sir, I ain't got nutin' I need ta brin'," she said as the waited."I can't have one soldier carrying nothing in my formation. Stand fast." He swiftly walked away and returned a few moments later with a bag from the concession shop, and handed it to her. "Take this. It will even out my formation.""Wha' it is... What it ... What is it, sir?" She stammered as she tried to not sound like the inner city punk she was sure he thought of her."Don't you mind that soldier. Just do what you're told and hold it for me." He then turned and began shouting orders at the youth as they gathered their belongings. "Once you got you shit get in line. We still have a buss waiting, And if I miss it we're going to walk to camp from here. Don't worry, and don't hurry yourselves over it. It's only ten miles." As she uttered his hollow threats to the recruits they began to move with an emergency. Alex watched and giggled just a little as she saw the younger soldier for what he was doing. "Dat's jus' mean sir," she said as she really sized him up for the first time. He could not have been more than three years older than her. If she remembered correctly the rank list in the small book they gave her at MEPS listed him as a specialist. As she looked the well toned bat over, much of his physique was masked by the loose uniform, but his rigid military stance spoke of his discipline and the effort he must put into his career. He snickered at her comment as the the recruits sinaly lined up behind Alex. "Let's get a moveon troops. Through that door, onto the bus outside. YOu will file to the back and sit your ass in the last seat available. You will sit two bodies to a seat, and you will be happy to beek all your shit in your laps. Now MOVE!"
Alex frowned as she noted that the young soldier did not follow them onto the bus. She still held the bag he had given her, yet now she was unable to return it. Overwhelmed by curiosity she opened the sack and looked in. In the darkness she saw a small plush eagle and a note. She pulled the note out to read it as she streetlamps would allow with their passing.'No one should ever go anywhere empty handed,' was all the not said. No name, no information, just the simple note. She looked down at the small plush in the bag with a smile and said, "Ya look jus' like my Ashten, " slowly the smile faded as the memories of her brother flooded in, "I ain't gonna let nutin' happen ta ya dis time."The beaver next the her asked, "Who are you talking to?""Chudup fuckwad. I ain't talkin' to ya, dat's fer sure." She sat in silence staring into the bag at the small toy. 'Why did he give this to me?' rang in her head over and over.
Alex filed off the bus with the rest of the new soldiers, following the orders shouted at them. It was much too soon to sand out. She needed to keep a low profile here. They were all bound to know why she was here, and what had happened at MEPS in Chicago. She looked over
the crowded formations as a panther paced back and forth shouting nonsense, the scene reminded her of the old army movies her dad used to watch, before they pawned the TV. Soon the male formation was filed into a building and the females we lectured about equal opportunity and who to tell when the guys don't know who to keep it in their pants. She knew damned well how to get the guys to do what they needed to, no need to listen to this rant. She only half paid attention as the group filed off the ret their belongings. Not wanting to be the only one left standing again she followed the group the the pile of bags. While she aimleslyy wondered around the pile a gray chinchilla cought her attention. the girl was left standing in the formation alon, holding only a backpack. She watched at the mink drill sergeant questioned her, relieved that she was not in that position again herself. She was snapped out of her daydreams as the Mink shouted to from up on Shelby, that must be the chinchilla's name. Eager to get a closer look at the curvy fur, Alex ran to stand beside her. With the closer view she found that this girl next to her was quite attractive. 'Easy on the eyes one might say,' she thought to herself. The chinchilla was not fat, yet far from skinny. She had curves in all the right places. Alex followed the chinchilla into the building as she assumed those were the orders given that she no longer paid any attention to. As they entered the open room full of bunks they were handed a stack of sheets and blankets by a young raccoon in uniform. Alex followed the chinchilla the the first buck taking a spot next to her. She introduced herself to "'ey dere 'ot stuff, I'm Alex."As she spoke the drill sergeant shouted into the room, "This doesn't call for talking ladies. Keep your yaps shut and get to a bunk."The chinchilla looked over her and whispered, "Susan." As she Alex return a smile.With all the females lined up in pairs by bunks, the mink shouted, "Okay Ladies. All I want to see for the rest of the night is ass hole and elbows. Get in your bunks and get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you." With the Drill Sergeants declaration the girls turned to their bunks, some making them, while others just dropped to the mattress. Alex eagerly flapped her way to the top bunk and sprawled across it. As she heard the chinchilla finally climb into her bunk she called down, "See ya in da mornin' Fluffy Muffin." The name had just
popped into her head as she thought about the chinchilla's well formed feminine body.