>the choppers and their cargo was definitely the highlight of the week
>choppers meant more everything, ammo, letters, food, and sometimes bodies.
>specifically fresh recruits who passed the draft
>some of the boys protested under their breath, seeing a spotted triangle flying under the stripes
>Camp Kinder, the hyena platoons main base.
>those fresher than most stumbled off the choppers, while the commander strolled out casually and began directing the anxious staffers to the cargobays
>and just as some feared, huge hyenas strolled around, some practically naked, no care for clothing like human women.
>But their commander was a different story
>dressed to kill in a pressed uniform and beret that hung onto one ear, almost over a cloudy grey eye
>from her smile, she was already analyzing her new recruits as she marched over, flanked by two other hyenas
>"woo, I can still smell the lawn they cut you boy's from you're all so green! LINE UP!"
>a brief scramble from the privates before a perfect line was made
>the hyenas moved down the line, name and rank, then where they would be stationed
>until one particular man caught the commander's attention
>"Name"
>"Konroy Nemo"
>the commander paused reading his sheet, a thin smile spreading across her muzzle
>"Callsign...Hyena?" She snorted, looking from him to clipboard
>the stone-faced private nodded "Yes sir"
>the commander raised an eyebrow before squaring down to eye-level with him, tapping the top of his head with the clipboard as if measuring him
>"hmm, I dunno lad, you look pretty damn short for a Yeen, even a striped or male" she grinned, baring all her teeth
>"whatcha think girls, he look yeen to you?" She turned half to her following officers who struggled to keep a straight face 
>turning back she leaned in close, so he could feel her hot breath and smell the meat between her teeth
>" You ever tore a man's throat out? Drank his blood and snapped his spine while he drowned in his own fluids?"
>the new recruit's face never shifted, only a deep breath made his nostrils flare as he spoke "No sir"
>She almost seemed impressed, or disappointed by his lack of reaction
>But She would see how long he could keep the stoic act up
>tapping his head again as she stood "well let's see how you live up to that name then greenhorn, Road Burners, Tent 5"
>then the list kept moving, until she heel turned back to the line of men and women "Alright Meat, make us proud, dismissed!"
>and the scurry began
>most fled to their assigned duties, some dragged their feet
>it was obvious who was pulled into the fight and who had some sense of duty to it
>The commander watched as "Hyena" dutifully marched to his assigned tent
>she briefly wondered why such a scrawny body would earn that particular callsign, before moving to address orders and moving to the map tent

>Tent 5 was barely even a tent, more a circus of equipment and a large drape over everything
>several large hyenas stared him down as he approached, all in various states of undress and longuing on top of their equipment
>"Look, new meat"
>Konroy smirked, and snorted "You ladies look like you've had enough Meat for 10 of me
>all of them sat up
>" Well, well, this meat has a mouth"
>"think you're funny Meat?"
>another hard snort "No, I can't be funny, your faces alone would outdo any joke
>one rolled her eyes, the others let out a growl with a smile full of fangs
>"Meat, we could rape you into the mud and leave you to die, you got a lot of nerve"
>Konroy snapped, a full stupid smile, almost showing every crooked, stained tooth in his mouth as he started laughing, deep chest laughter that left a little vibration in his chest
>"I am...I'm sure you could! But I wouldn't mind if it got me out of this goddamn army!" Barely managing to talk behind his laughter
>they weren't sure what to make of him, but they hadn't even noticed how he had slipped through them until he disappeared into the tent
>The inside was much like the outside, everything patched together and makeshift
>And a bit of hyena fur here and there
>tables, chairs, beds, all easily broken down junk
>"Hope you like junk Meat, it's how we move" the women pushed past him, shoving him out of the way.
>"Sarge says nothing we can't remake when we get there, otherwise it's too heavy"
>Konroy smirked "Pragmatic"
>"yeah we'll see how you feel about it when you're walking through the jungle and you lose your bed"
>the group groaned and shook their heads almost collectively, moving around to their respective junk pile
>one hyena with large sunglasses waved him over, a large rifle disassembled on the table before her "so, Name?"
>Konroy
>" Hmm, Shades" she grunted, then started pointing her thumb at the others, naming them.
>"Rot, Vomit, Echo, Shock and you already know Sarge" 
>Konroy blinked stupidly, looking and trying to memorize names to faces before he realized the Commander was standing in the tentflap
>"Right, however Hyena, you are to address me as Leader, Matriarch or just Queen if you've fucked something up" 
>immediately she walked over to him, picking him up by his skull and lifting him off the ground to her level
>"You WILL keep up, or you will die here no one will come back for You, understood?"
>Konroy bit his lip, blood trickling down his chin "Yes...sir"
>the Commander smirked and put him down gently before turning to the room "This is Hyena, he will be our new blood since the pencil pushers don't like an entire hyena squad, keep your claws in and if I hear of any roughhousing without my consent, you'll get to deal with me"
>her voice was as cold as ice and he swore he saw two of them shiver before saluting "Yes Ma'am!"
>Konroy dug his nails into his palms, wincing 
>Shades, closest to him, noticed before Commander walked away
>" You nervous?'
>he jumped and smiled "its...a nasty habit, gotten me in trouble with humans a lot.."