Naval Base Norfolk, August 3rd, 2024: 3:32 PM

Shaun bursts into my office, his expression dead serious. "Boss, err, rear admiral, you gotta see this."

I lean forward, intrigued. "Just call me boss, like you always do. What's up, Shaun?"

"Okay, brace yourself. Everyone above Rear Admiral? Vanished," he blurts out, sounding like he's stumbled onto some government conspiracy.

I sit up straight, trying to wrap my head around it. "Are you serious? How does that even happen?"

"Dunno, boss. It's a real head-scratcher," Shaun shrugs, looking as puzzled as I feel.

Before I can even process that bombshell, Joshua Rend from intel bursts in, all business. "Sir, radar's picking up some weird activity."

"How far out? Any idea if it's friendly or hostile?" I ask, trying to keep my cool.

"About 25 miles, cruising at 10 miles an hour. We're still figuring out if it's a welcome party or trouble," Joshua rattles off before darting out. "Catch you later, gotta run!"

I turn to Shaun. "Alright, you dive into the missing brass mystery."

"On it, boss," Shaun nods, already heading out.

Just as I'm trying to make sense of all this, another intel officer bursts in, looking like he's seen a ghost.

"Sir, patrol boats spotted some little green creatures on the shore," he blurts out. "And check this out, a satellite image!"

I take the photo he hands me, and my mind practically short circuits. "Good grief! We're in uncharted territory! And is that a settlement? Has a scout team been dispatched to investigate?"

"A scout team has already been dispatched," the officer tells me.

"Who's leading?" I ask, crossing my fingers for someone who knows their stuff.

"James Maverick. A scout known for a variety of feats," he assures me.

"Ah, yeah, heard of him," I nod, recalling Maverick's rep.

3:40 PM - James Maverick, Scout Team Leader's POV

The Blackhawk's blades are thumping away as we fly toward our mystery destination, a mix of nerves and excitement buzzing through the team.

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"Got all your gear?" I call out, doing a final check.

"Locked and loaded, Cap," one of the guys grins, looking ready to roll.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road. Pilot, take us in," I say, itching to get some answers.

Ten minutes later, and the chopper's filled with a mix of anticipation and nerves.

"Can you believe this, Cap? We're like explorers charting unknown territory!" one guy laughs, sounding pumped yet cautious.

"Keep it together, guys. We don't know what's waiting for us down there," I remind them, trying to keep the mood balanced.

As we descend, a village comes into view, under attack by those little green creatures we'd seen before.

"Pilot, there's our target. Set her down," I order, my pulse quickening.

"We're on it," the pilot confirms, his voice steady despite the chaos below.

"Touchdown. Let's make it count," the pilot announces, and we waste no time hitting the ground running.

"Alright, team, let's kill those green creatures. And watch each other's backs," I shout over the noise of battle.

In the chaos, I spot two of those green creatures threatening a kid. I take aim, and with a couple of well-placed shots, they've become a green mist.

"How many left?" I ask, scanning the scene.

"Around eleven more," one of the guys reports.

"Alright, let's finish the job!" I command, ready to tackle whatever comes our way.

----

"Job well done. Anyways, one of you go assess the damage done to this village, and another to give medical care. Focus on the ones that need care the most!" I commanded my team. Just as I issued the order, a group of strange people on horseback arrived. They looked like knights.

My team looked in awe as they approached. Their leader seemed to be a female figure with blonde hair. The figure got off of their horse and began to approach me. Then she spoke in a language I could not even recognize. Was it Latin? French, German, Spanish, Portuguese? It was none of the ones mentioned.

"Who are you people? What are you doing here?" The figure said: Although I couldn't understand her, she didn't seem hostile. Instead, she had a tinge of curiosity. Then, all of a sudden, I began to have a serious headache. It felt as if my head was splitting open; soon enough, it stopped, just as fast as it happened. Then, oddly enough, I was able to understand what the figure had said previously.

"My name is Captain James Maverick; I am the leader of a group of scouts. We hail from Norfolk Naval Base of the United States of America." I responded. It felt like I was fluent in whatever the language I used to respond with.

"Norfolk Naval Base... United States of America? She repeated, trying to understand what those places were. "I have never heard of such a place."

"Right, anyways, what is your name and the place you hail from?" I asked her. To which she responded with. "My name is Lauriel von Reinhardt, I come from the kingdom of Lionheart."

"Hey captain, I didn't know you could speak a different language!" One of my men interrupted.

"To be honest, me neither." I admitted.

"Anyways, we should be going now." She responded. "Yeah, us to, is there a possibility of us meeting again?" I asked. We needed information, and I figured Lauriel would be a good source of that. "Yes, there is. Our settlement is nearby." She said. Her group had begun to leave. I figured it was time for us to leave as well.

We got on the helo and took one final look at the place. With a matter of minutes, the helicopter was already in the air, headed back to the base.