“STROMGAARD!”

Vere jumped bodily off the bench at the snarling voice of their commander. Feathers shuffled and sisters gasped and muttered around them. Ivory lockers hemmed in the long line of yellow-painted benches. Fluorescent lights were already giving Vere a migraine. The sisters were already tense; everyone was waiting to be herded downstairs by Lieutenant Lucia to be interviewed about Ripley.

Vere quickly pulled their boot on the rest of the way and straightened as Colonel Agrippa stormed into view with her infernal glare on Vere. The commander’s massive ivory wingspan multiplied as she strode past the row of sinks and mirrors next to the exit behind her.

“Yes, colonel?” Vere stood at attention and raised their hand in a salute.

The colonel’s gaze cut through the locker room. “Everyone else, OUT!”

Their sisters complied with haste, the last footsteps echoing and the door to the balcony thumping shut, final and ominous.

Colonel Agrippa stomped up to Vere, grabbed them by the collar of their uniform, and yanked them in so fast that they physically ran into the colonel. They only avoided hitting her face because they got so tense that their neck and shoulders pulled back.

Agrippa’s eyes were dark. A sweet scent clung to her breath as she growled, “Where is the corporal?” 

Vere wasn’t much of a liar. But the truth of Ripley’s location buried itself immediately as Vere faced the colonel. They weren’t sure if it was protectiveness for Ripley or wanting to cover their own ass, but regardless, they mutely shook their head as if to say, “Man, I don’t know.”

“Go find her,” Agrippa hissed, releasing Vere and collecting herself with a sharp exhale. “The corporal. Bring her back.”

Vere smoothed their collar automatically as they took a step away from her. Their blood whooshed in their ears. “I beg your pardon, ma’am?” Hearing someone misgender Ripley made them a little nauseous, but they could never correct anyone—especially Agrippa.

“She wouldn’t have dishonored us like this if not for you,” commented Agrippa. “It’s your responsibility to fix this mess.”

Vere blinked hard. Nausea and dizziness. If they fainted in front of the colonel, they suspected they would be excommunicated on the spot. Dragged out before regaining consciousness. They didn’t know how it could be their fault that Ripley had decided to leave. “How’s that, ma’am?”

“She’ll come back if it’s you,” Agrippa said, ignoring their question. “Everyone knows you’re one of the few people who still talks to her.”

Vere kept their hands clasped behind their back so they could squeeze their wrists as hard as they could. “Yes ma’am.”

Agrippa’s gaze dragged down over Vere’s body. “It’s about time you put your name to use, anyway.”

Vere’s brow wrinkled. They got very hot and then very cold, very, very fast. “Ma’am?”

“You’re a waste of a captain,” remarked Agrippa disdainfully. “You don’t do shit for me. Nobody respects you.”

Why the fuck was this happening right now? They could feel themself trembling, and clenched their jaw to keep their chin from quivering. “Yes, ma’am,” they muttered.

“It’s honestly amazing how much the sisters don’t respect you,” snorted Agrippa, “considering you’re physically quite impressive, even if your axe is ostentatious.”

Vere was gonna fucking scream. “Will that be all, ma’am?”

“You have a week.” Agrippa pinned Vere with her intense raptor gaze. “Get her back.”

“Ma’am,” said Vere tersely, sick of the misgendering, the unnecessary jabs, and the confusion of what the hell Ripley’s departure had to do with them, “what if the corporal doesn’t want to come back?”

The colonel bared her teeth. Her arm moved so fast Vere hardly saw it coming until the slap landed on their cheek and snapped their head to the side.

Their ear was ringing as the colonel exclaimed, “Then do your fucking job and make her come back!” She moved closer, jabbing her index finger into Vere’s shoulder. “You will not want to find out what happens if you fail this mission, Stromgaard.” Then the colonel turned with a squeak of heel on tile and swept out of the locker room, leaving Vere alone with their ragged breathing.

Vere groaned into their hands, trying to get their legs to work. They wouldn’t fucking work. Their breathing amped up, getting shallow, speeding up their heart rate until they could feel it pounding in their fingertips. 

This was insanity, this was completely unjust to have to go after Ripley.

Vere realized they had started moving; they walked briskly toward the door. They had to pack, or something. You’re a waste of a captain.

They saw their hands clench around the edge of the sink as a roar of helpless frustration broke out of their lungs. You will not want to find out what happens—

Water hissed and sprayed out, splattering their legs as they ripped the sink out of the wall and threw it away. The porcelain shattered, skittering across the tiles in thick chunks. Vere blinked, suddenly coming to, fingers crooked like claws.

“Fuck,” they groaned, staring at the burst pipe spewing water where the sink fixture had been. “Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuuck.”

They lost it fast. Not quite going berserk, but way too close for comfort. Stress pulled Vere’s anxiety inside-out and turned them feral. This situation with Ripley—this was going to be bad for them.

Vere stepped back, boots squeaking in the puddles forming on the tiles. After a moment, they noticed the handles on the pipe and twisted them off to stop the flooding. At least. They pulled out their phone and shot a text to the automated maintenance line.

They stalked out of the locker room and flapped up to the barracks on the floor above, repeatedly telling themself they had to pack. To go hunt down their friend.

Vere lingered at the edge of the barracks, which were unadorned hallways leading to dozens of small individual rooms and a handful of larger bunked rooms for the younger, lower-ranking valkyries, with several common areas running down the middle. Their heart rate mercifully began to slow as they rushed into their room and changed out of their uniform without allowing any thoughts to stick in their head.

They draped their wet pants over the back of their desk chair and then tossed their VADR-issued phone onto the desk. If they could have a few peaceful moments without Agrippa knowing their every move before they left VADR, that would be so refreshing.

Vere pulled on a compression bra and an unobtrusive black hoodie. Snapping the long panels above and below their wings took just enough attention to distract them for a moment.

Every time an anxious thought returned, they started muttering what they were doing under their breath.

“Put on the joggers. Tie the laces,” they hissed. 

You’re a waste of a captain.

“Gotta go tell Edie I have to go,” they said loudly, making a valkyrie pause as they opened their door talking to themself.

The tension among their sisters was palpable. They weren’t the only one out of sorts. It almost seemed like a commotion had happened aside from their fun little breakdown in the locker room.

Seven or eight valkyries were milling in the Commons, teeth bared as they exchanged opinions in grating whispers. Vere recognized Captain Morgana’s massive wingspan spread out and trembling with agitation. She had Claudia backed into a corner as she barked insults at the smaller valkyrie. As usual, nobody challenged Morgana, and nobody stuck up for Claudia.

Vere paused, drawing their wings around the shoulders of their hoodie. Leaving Claudia to Morgana’s bullying was… typical, for them. Like their sisters, they didn’t usually interfere. Vere’s general principle was to avoid confrontation as much as possible.

Nobody respects you.

They frowned. They liked Claudia well enough. She was sweet and accepting. She didn’t deserve to be screamed at for anything by Vere’s fellow captain. Morgana was by no means likable; she had become a bit of an Agrippa lackey over the last five years, much to Vere’s disappointment. Morgana fed off the colonel’s energy, which Vere guessed was why they were snarling at Claudia now.

But Claudia didn’t deserve it.

Maybe if they’d spoken up for Ripley, thought Vere, their sibling wouldn’t have felt like their only option was to desert. Maybe if Vere did anything ever to help their sisters, they wouldn’t have felt so devastated to hear Agrippa say to them what they definitely knew to be true. They were an awful captain.

Maybe Vere could change that.

The resolve that settled like debris in their chest was a somber feeling, but it still banished their fear as they stepped toward Morgana.

“Captain,” called Vere, loud and clear, “what’s the matter? Are you alright?”

Morgana’s frosty glare shot over her shoulder and landed on Vere. “Fuck off, Stromgaard.”

“Oh, is that Claudia?” Vere said like they hadn’t known she was there, “Major Wrede was just looking for you,” Vere lied. They knew that Joan would cover for Claudia, and already knew what had been going on today. “Don’t make her late, Morgana.”

Morgana growled but jerked back a step. Claudia quickly pushed away from the wall and got herself out of the corner. She paused, standing behind Morgana’s back, and gave Vere an appreciative smile. Then, she hurried down the hall toward the Officer’s quarters where the major would be putting together patrols.

Vere’s heart leapt in their chest. That was all it had taken to turn Claudia’s day around. Maybe they could help their sisters.

Morgana stalked up to Vere, her eyes narrowing. “You’re out of uniform.”

“I’ve already got my orders.” Vere turned away. They had to tell Edie that they would have to leave. Seeing their friend would help to calm them down anyway.

“You were close to Ripley,” Morgana added, following Vere. Her tone held an accusation. “How come you’re letting the rest of us that hated her deal with her mess?”

Vere clenched their jaw, halting and turning back to Morgana. “You have been told plenty of times that you’re using the wrong pronouns for Ripley.”

 Morgana’s lip curled. “We’re valkyries. We don’t do pronouns.”

Vere’s heartbeat remained calm and slow, the way that it did when they were confronting danger in the field. It was embarrassing, being sent to this frightful place by their own sister, but at least it meant they could say their peace and be done.

“You know,” said Vere sadly, “I really admired you when we were kids. You’ve changed.” Then they strode away, because Morgana had no real reason to keep them here, and they had nothing more to say to her. She let them go, and Vere continued on their way downstairs with a heavy heart.