Let's Start a Riot (EVENT)

[Davis, E.]

"Already got approached by a pair of em Fox," Davis said with a grin, taking a pull from his whiskey. "That kind of entertainment ain't for me tonight though. I'll be in enough shit for this stunt if we get caught. If they can tack on Fraternization and Sexual Deviancy charges, I'll be sitting in a brig for a month and lose any rank I've got. No, I'm good with watching the rest of you get some much needed R&R."

Davis relaxed visibly, letting his normally rigid frame melt against the bar under the influence of the whiskey. It was a great party, and while he was slightly disappointed that he couldn't fully partake, he was proud of what he and his friends had accomplished. It was a great thing to see and he highly doubted anyone else on the ship had the kind of ambition and foresight to pull this off. It was a great day, in his book. But more importantly, he had a chance to get to know his newest team member better.

"I would never ask you to cheat John," he said without looking at the man. "I have my own brand of fun, but I don't think any of us well ever have what you've got. It's special so don't let it go. Tell me about her? It's the first time we haven't had those knuckleheads around and can talk like men. And if you tell them I called you by your name, I'll deny all of it."

Ward had proven himself on Phoenix III. While it was great fun to use him to frustrate the other two members of his team, they had all come together quite well and Davis was confident that the four of them could take on almost anything the UNSCMC could throw at them. That being said, it was times like this that really built a team. Hopefully Ward was comfortable enough to actually talk. He had taken enough orders, instruction, and correction for now. There would be plenty more time in the simulators, but not now. Now was the time to be humans again.

[Ward, J.]

Ward was thrown aloof by the sudden shift in the demeanor of Corporal Davis. The NCO had always been stern and professional with him, and he saw the NCO whom was, ironically, not that much older than him as something of a coach and a mentor. Whenever he needed the firm hand of guidance upon his shoulder, he could count on Corporal Davis to be there to see him through whatever ordeal he might have had to overcome. To watch him drop the act and talk to him not as a subordinate, but as a human being, was not something the private was accustomed to.

Jon stood there for a long moment wordlessly contemplating what to say. Davis wanted to learn more about his fiancé, a woman that normally he could talk about for days on end, but now? Now he had no idea what to say to the man. He hadn't expected in the least to be asked a personal question by his team leader, and for some reason, he felt awkward bringing his fiancée up to her.

"Okay, Corporal," he finally replied, responding to his threat to deny having ever referred to him by his given name. He paused for a second longer, debating on how to start things off. "My fiancé.... Well, I met her in my freshman year of high school. I mean, I'd seen her around in middle school, but we never talked until high school. By sophomore year her and I were dating and... Well, I guess we just fell in love."

It was a terrible retelling of the events that transpired, he knew, but it was the best that he could produce under such circumstances. He looked at Davis trying to gauge his reaction to the information. Part of him felt bad for being so short with him, but there wasn't much else to say. Jon sighed.

"By senior year I knew she was the one," he finally stammered out. "Right after we both graduated I signed up for the Marines. She supported my decision, though I could tell she was worried. What woman wouldn't be, I guess? Well, a couple weeks before I shipped out for Boot, I took her out on a date and proposed to her. When she said yes, I was probably the happiest man on Reach."

The awkward feeling started to subside as he continued to talk about Charlene, and he began to fall into an almost trance-like state as he recalled the many memories of his time with her. "I swear everyone in the parking lot of the movie theatre heard her accept. It couldn't have been a better night. And I was so worried before I did it, so to hear her say yes was... it was like a weight off my shoulders. Anyway, when we get back to Reach -- I guess after this deployment -- her and I are going to have our wedding back in my hometown. Saint Rose. You ever been there? I heard our unit is stationed at the base a few miles outside the city."

[Davis, E.]

"We are that," Davis said as the young man gushed about his love. There was something inside of Davis, way deep down that even he would not admit was there, that wished he had something like that. This boy in front of him had a good family, a supporting gal, and a brilliant military career in front of him if he didn't get himself killed doing something stupid. Davis's future was a grind of keeping boys from getting killed before taking them out and drinking them under the table. It was a hard fast life, but he didn't see another way out of it. He longed for his pickup truck and the idea of a long legged gal next to him was the best he would do. Pretty pale future in comparison.

"I'll have to make sure my Dress Uniform is together when we get back Johnny, because I expect an invite. Now, I'll leave you to you memories, I have more fun to inspire."

Davis handed his now empty glass over and got a refill on his Jack before pushing off the bar and back towards the stage. There were all kinds of people on the floor now, and it was becoming a hot, sweaty mass of bodies, like any good club dance floor should be. Davis spotted Furby and Wilkas off to one side, and Avery off grinding with some female on the other side of the floor. As the song died down, he pulled the mic back out of its stand and grabbed their attention.

"Semper Fi Marines," he barked out, getting a bellowing Semper Fi in return. "Now that we've got you all loosened up, it's time to get this party started for real. The bar is still pouring drinks as fast as you can get 'em and at the back we've got an arm wrestling tournament starting up. Don't get too wrapped up in the dancing to miss out on bragging writes, and don't worry, I won't be participating."

He gave a flex on stage to a chorus of boos and cheers that just made his lopsided grin stretch even wider.

"For those of you looking for skill over strength, we've got darts and beer pong starting at the same time. Get your name down and earn those bragging rights for your Company's. Also, a big shout out to Beatrice who came down to learn how to party. Make sure you hit her up for a dance marines and show her a good time. DJ! Hit me with another track!"

The next song spun up and he ran back into the crowd his drink lifted high as the party ramped back up. People started going to sign up for the competitions and drink still flowed freely. He was starting to feel his Jack Daniels, but that wasn't an issue. A solid buzz was all part of the plan.

_______________________________________
It was almost two hours later when Davis saw the time again, and this party was one of his best yet. The back rooms had developed a line, and every couple that came out got a standing ovation from the gallery that had gathered. The competitions were nearly over and it was going to be up to him to start winding things down soon. But not just yet. He still had a few more things to get done. He intended to honor all of the companies here, but that would come with announcements on who had won and a thank you to the attending junior marines. He was sure scuttlebutt would get out, but it was entirely possible at this point that he was going to get out of this without any real notice. The idea was exciting.

[Ward, J.]

Jon had fallen into a state of reminiscence. A sea of memories washed up on the shores of his brain in waves, bringing images of all the times he spent with his fiancé before the Marine Corps. His heart beat faster as he imagined her in all her beauty. There was not a doubt in his mind that she was the one. After all, he would not have gone through the trouble of a proposal had he not been sure of it.

"I'll have to make sure my Dress Uniform is together when we get back Jonny, because I expect an invite," Corporal Davis stated. "Now, I'll leave you to your memories; I have more fun to inspire."

Ward grinned. "Aye, Corporal."

Corporal Davis walked off as Ward leaned up against the bar, his back to it, and took a long swig of his beer. There were dozens of memories that he sifted through as he drank and watched the crowds of people dancing, chatting, or flocking to the contest areas. He wished Charlene were here with him, at the party. Together the two of them would have a blast.

-----

The effects of the alcohol that he had consumed over the last two hours had hit him long ago, and Jon found himself standing by the beer pong table, watching as Marines played against each other for a chance to claim victory for their company. Jon had played one game and found that he was actually pretty terrible at tossing a round ball into the round hole of a solo cup, oddly enough. He wasn't sure of it was the alcohol or the fact that he had never played before and just needed practice, but he decided after that first game he wasn't going to play anymore.

He had considered the arm-wrestling tournament, but decided against it when he noticed who all had flocked to it. Some of the largest Marines in the battalion had congregated around it, and Jon was by far not the biggest or strongest Marine here. He wanted to avoid the embarrassment that would certainly be felt if he wrestled someone and they beat him in the first three seconds.

Jon almost lost his balance when someone bumped into him. He stood leaned forward, waving his arms wildly as he tried to regain his balance. "Sorry," someone said and he felt a hand grab his shirt, pulling him back up so that he was standing straight. Ward turned to see who it was and was met with the visage of a heavily intoxicated Lance Corporal Avery.

"Hey, Av," Ward bellowed drunkenly. "Wha-what's uuppp?"

Avery laughed harder than he'd ever heard him laugh before. "Bro, you're drunk as shit ain't you?"

Ward took a moment to think about it before nodding. "I'm feelin' pretty gooood."

"'Rah Devil Dog," Avery exclaimed, patting him on the shoulder. "'Bout time yo ass loosened up, Fox!"

It was just about then that Ward realized Avery was not by himself. Standing next to him, appearing equally as intoxicated, was a female Marine in a short dress that hugged her curves and exposed skin in all the right places. Her brunette hair fell just beneath her shoulders. Overall, she was a very beautiful woman.

"Wh-who-who's that?" Ward stammered out, his words terribly slurred.

Avery laughed again and shook his head before looking over at the beauty that he had in his arms. The woman looked back at him expectantly. "Her? Oh, this is Lance Corporal Heinz, from H&S. Judy, meet Fox. He's in my team."

Lance Corporal Heinz looked Ward up and down with a smirk. "Does he have a real name?" she inquired, glancing back at Avery.

"Oh yeah," Avery replied, nodding. "His name is Boot, No Go, or whatever the hell you feel like it is."

Ward shook his head with a grin and extended his hand out to Lance Corporal Heinz. She reached down and took it, giving it a firm shake. "My name's Jonny. Jonny Ward."

"A pleasure," she said with a smile. "Maybe he can join us?"

Avery looked rather surprised by the question and then looked over at Ward. Jon was thoroughly confused at this point. "Join you for what?"

"Back rooms, dog," Avery whispered in his ear.

Jonny laughed and shook his head, holding up his left hand so that the engagement ring would be visible to the both of them. Lance Corporal Heinz pouted, though it was quickly replaced with a lecherous grin. "That's too bad."

The three said their goodbyes and Ward watched as Heinz led the way for Avery through the mass of people towards the back rooms. It was pretty crazy for her to offer for him to join them in their festivities, although he couldn't exactly say that he wasn't flattered to have caught the eye of such a beautiful woman. However, he cared for his fiancée too much to throw all that he had accomplished away to have one brief moment of carnal pleasure.

Ward turned and started back towards the bar. His beer was almost empty and that meant it was about time for another one. On his way there he thought he saw Furby hanging around Wilkas in the crowd, but he couldn't be sure. There were a lot of people here and he didn't realize how many redheads there were in their battalion until tonight.

"Yo, boot!"

Jon froze. He recognized that voice as soon as he heard it, and could feel the color slowly drain from his face. The sound of that voice seemed to sober him up instantly as he turned to face the person that the voice belonged to. Standing there amongst a group of his friends was a badly bruised Lance Corporal Akono of November Company.

"I gotta bone to pick with you," Akono declared, and started towards him.

"What do you want, Lance Corporal?"

Akono turned and looked back at his friends. "Do you hear the disrespect come out of this little shower shoe's mouth?" By now he was almost upon him.

"Only thing I hear is a retard who hasn't learned his lesson," Ward rebuttled.

Akono laughed rather obnoxiously and nodded his head. "Is that so?"

Before Ward had a chance to dodge it, Akono's fist slammed into his stomach, knocking the breath out of him and almost causing him to throw up all the alcohol he had consumed. He looked up and saw a lot of the people around them had stopped what they were doing to watch, a few even going as far as to start cheering on the bruised and battered Marine. "That's for bein' a smart little prick," Akono said, indignant. "And this -" his knee came up and struck Ward in the forehead, causing him to fall back onto the floor. "... That is for having to be rescued by some dumb lifer!"

Ward gritted his teeth, wincing in pain. When he opened his eyes he could see stars dancing around his vision, and was barely able to make out the figure of Lance Corporal Akono standing over him. The Marine didn't appear to be paying him any attention, so he cocked his leg out and then delivered a swift kick to the side of the man's knee.

Akono's leg gave out from under him and he fell to one knee. That gave Jon the perfect shot at his face with his boot. The bastard recoiled from the kick to his cheek and hit the floor. Jon smirked and slowly climbed to his feet. "Always keep your eyes on your opponent, dumbass."

There was a chorus of "ooh's" from the crowd and it became apparent that more people were noticing that something was going on. Ward sighed and turned to return to the bar. "HEY!" someone bellowed. The Private turned around and saw six November Company Marines that had flocked to Lance Corporal Akono, their eyes fixated on Ward. "You ain't gettin' out of this that easy, fucker! That's our buddy you just screwed with!"

[Furby, J.]

Furby was fairly certain that he had never been to a party of the scale and scope of the one he found himself in attendance of. The simulator was packed with a battalion's worth of junior enlisted (save for the handful of NCOs that had somehow been roped in), and he was well beyond the definition of intoxicated. He glanced down at the bottle in his hands. The Lager in his grasp was probably his eigth or ninth, he wasn't sure. He'd lost count four beers ago.

He glanced at Grace and smiled at her. They were in a corner of the simulator amidst a fairly small group of people by comparison, and Jayson was leaned up against the wall. Wilkas had managed to stay out of trouble in his company, which was good, and he'd been flirting with her off and on all night. He was pretty sure it had little affect on her, but he was remaining positive. "See?" he said to her all of a sudden over the racket of the music playing. "This ain't so bad, is it?"

Earlier he had roped her into beer pong against a band of Mike Company Marines. Oscar Company won the game, naturally, of which he had a small hand in. Sampson and Bowl had been on their team and scored some pretty tricky shots, and while Wilkas had been a little clunky with it at first, she did alright for a beginner. Jayson had to show her a few of the tricks that he kept up his sleeve to improve her odds.

The music died out as the song that had been blaring through the speakers reached its climax, and in the silence he picked up on a good deal of commotion coming from somewhere nearby. He looked over at Grace and said, "Let's see what's goin' on."

Jayson maneuvered through the crowd, his gait a little off as a result of the alcohol that streamed through his blood. It took him about a minute to reach the rather large crowd that had formed, and he pushed his way through to see what was going on. That was when he saw it. Ward was on his back and a Marine whom he didn't recognize was on the floor in front of him. There were several other Marines who did not look to be in a particularly good mood that started to advance on Ward.

It took Furby only a moment for his brain to process what was happening and who the Marines were. When the realization hit him, he pushed the Marines in front of him to the side and moved to stand beside Ward. "Hold up now," Furby barked, staring the six Marines from November Company down. "If you got a problem with my buddy here, you got a problem with me."

One of the Marines grinned. "And here I thought O-Co was full of a bunch of pussies."

Jayson looked down at Ward -- who was in the process of climbing to his feet -- and shook his head. "Did he really just say that?"

"He did," another No-Co Marine said.

"Jonny, let's kick their ass," Furby said to his friend, and then added underneath his breath, "I got your six, brother."

The two sides stared each other down for a minute. Another song started to play and Furby had to resist the urge to burst into a fit of laughter. He displayed his teeth in a toothy grin and watched as the November Company Marines finally made their move. Unfortunately, they all came at once.

The biggest one out of the group went straight for Furby. Jayson was reminded of the impromptu team training orchestrated by Davis a few weeks before and his one-on-one match with Lance Corporal Scoggins. When the Marine was almost upon Furby, he ducked his head down low and charged forward.

He swept the Marine up by his legs and threw him over his shoulder. The Marine, taken by surprise, made no attempt to stop himself as he collapsed to the floor face first. Jayson stood up and delivered a roundhouse to the Marine directly behind him, managing to strike him in his side right beneath his ribs. When the guy keeled over, clutching his side, Furby leaned in and punched him square in the face.

That was when an arm wrapped around his throat and lifted him up off the ground. Jayson choked on the breath he had been inhaling and struggled to breathe, clawing at the arm of the Marine that had him in his clutches. There was no way he was going to get himself out of this one.

"FIRST TEEEAAAAAMMMM!!!" someone screamed and the Marine that held Furby released him and fell forward, bringing him down with him. When Jayson hit the floor, he braced himself with his arms to keep from injuring himself, and crawled out from underneath his aggressor. When he turned around to face him, he saw Lance Corporal Avery laying on top of him, his elbow against the back of the man's neck, digging it in slightly. "Holy shit," Furby exclaimed.

"I go to get me some for two seconds, and look what happens," Avery mumbled with a wide grin.

Furby didn't have time to deliver one of his usual comebacks, as another one of the November Company Marines charged towards him. It looked as if he was going to slam into him, and Furby decided to let it happen. The Marine collided into him and wrapped his arms around Furby's waist, bringing him to the ground.

However, Jayson managed to wrap his arm around his assailant's neck as the tumbled to the floor, and he squeezed as hard as he could, cutting off the flow of air to the man's brain. "Say uncle!" Furby shouted into his ear. "Say. Uncle."

[Davis, E.]

Davis made his way to the front of the dance floor for what would be the last time when he heard the shouts and sounds of what could only be a fight. He grabbed the microphone and turned back to see what the commotion was. He found Beatrice standing there with a frustrated look on her face.

“Corporal Davis, there is a fight breaking out,” she said with the tone of a mother who had caught her children doing something they shouldn’t. “If you don’t stop this, someone could end up injured.”

“It’s possible,” he said with a grin, knowing the end had come. “I can’t stop this though. It is part of the entertainment.”

“You’re saying this is staged?”

“No ma’am, just part of the fun for marines. Who did you say is involved?”

“Your team and most of second squad, first platoon, of November Company. If you don’t stop this Corporal, I will.”

“Do what you must Beatrice,” Davis said, stepping right through her hologram. “Cuz that’s what I’m about to do.”

Pulling the simulator remote out of his pocket, Davis killed the music, which only stopped the dancers. Everyone else was too intent on the growing fight. He pulled the mic to the boos and jeers that started to come his way. These weren’t playful but the sound of a mob who demanded appeasement. Unfortunately, they were about to get something else.

“PARTY’S OVER,” he barked. “DUE TO A BUNCH OF BLACK AND TAN NO-GO COWARDS! CAN’T FIGHT A MAN FAIR? I GOT YOURS RIGHT HERE! OSCAR COMPANY ON ME! FOR THE FIGHTING IRISHMAN!”

With that he mashed a button on the remote and bulled into the crowd that made sure to part for him this time. As foolish as it seemed, Davis was prepared for this eventuality. In his mind, it was almost a forgone conclusion. November Company, for all the talk, were not cowards, nor were they poor Marines. Given the efforts they had gone through to get back their man, it was almost a sure thing that they would try something here after drinking. And so, as the first notes of a song prepared for this moment, intent on goading them into this fight even more, he struck a savage blow against the face of a No-Go who was unfortunate enough to be the closest one to him.

Davis found his smile as broad as ever, laughing about how a song from over 500 years ago fit so well now. It had to have been one of the greatest blunders in the Marines to put two companies together with guidons that suited like this. Apparently 1st battalions creators didn’t know their history. Of course, Davis hadn’t known until he heard it from Flannigan during a welcoming speech. Apparently there had been English suppressors of free Irish rule once in eons past. Leave it to the Irish to remember it this long after, Flannigan’s people kept this memory alive and he had passed it onto his Marines. The Irish orange and green of Oscar Company expertly clashed with the black and tan of November and it was not a rivalry that needed much to flame up. The song itself didn't mean much to Davis, but any song that so perfectly called the No-Gos a bunch of cowards was alright in his book.

It was with that final thought that Davis threw himself into the fray, knowing the junior marines of Oscar would follow him. He also knew that his conspirators would be doing their best to get everyone else out of the simulator before the MA’s got called. This big of a disturbance would likely draw attention, even if Beatrice didn’t. He had planned for this.

Now was the time to really have fun.

[Ward, J.]

Ward stood defiantly against the likes of the November Company Marines, whom started to surround himself and his teammates. Rather than be intimidated by their numbers, he was emboldened by the gesture. Lance Corporals Avery and Furby were with him now, and if the No-Co boys thought they needed twice as many people to take them on, than that meant they were worried that they had a high chance of losing on their own.

The announcement over the loudspeakers from Corporal Davis, accompanied by the first notes of a song no doubt selected purposefully for an occasion such as this, was enough incentive for the November Marines to make their move. Jon stood resolute as the first pair of Marines approached him. They were both heavily intoxicated, and they were having to struggle to remain upright as they approached, giving Ward all the advantage he needed to take them down.

When they were upon him, the Marine on the left swung first. It was a poorly aimed shot that Ward quickly dodged with a step to the side, and he followed up with a straight punch to the man's jaw. The Marine doubled back and almost lost his balance, but his friend managed to reach out and grab him by the arm for added support. Jon used the distraction to make his move, stepping forward and bringing his knee into the man's abdomen. The blow caused him to lose his footing, and the two Marines tumbled to the deck.

Jon chuckled and turned to face the next threat. He ducked instantly as one of the November Marines swung on him. Ward pushed up with his legs and brought his shoulder into the man's chest, shoving the Marine back several steps. He did not give the man a chance to recover. Jon charged forward, extended his arm, and clotheslined him. The No-Co bastard collapsed.

"Damn," Ward mumbled to himself, "I've always wanted to do that."

[Furby, J.]

"Uncle! Uncle! UNCLE!!!"

Jayson loosened his grip around the man's throat and he heard the heavy gasp for air. The November Marine's face had started to turn blue from oxygen deprivation, and he was sure the guy was feeling pretty woosy. Furby smirked and grabbed the Marine by his head and slammed it down on the deck.

CRACK!

The noise resonated in his ear and caused him to wince. That had to have hurt. "My nose! My fucking nose!" the Marine cried as he looked up at Furby. Blood gushed out from his nostrils onto the floor and the bridge of his nose, Furby noticed, was slightly crooked. He's definitely broken it.

"Oh, what a pussy," Jayson said, shaking his head as he picked himself up off the floor. He was about to step away to help Avery with a pair of Marines that were circling him when something crashed into him. Jayson fell forward and landed on the Marine he had just been choking out, the Marine exhaling an "oomph" as his body weight pinned him to the ground.

Before Jayson could react he felt someone's fist connect with the back of his head, sending his forehead into the deck plate. When he opened his eyes and looked up, the room swirled around him, and he could have sworn he saw some birds revolving around his skull. Another blow knocked his head back into the deck, and now he was having trouble seeing at all. "Get the fuck off me!" he shouted.

He tried to move in an attempt to throw whoever was on top of him off but it was to no avail. Heavy hands grasped him by the shoulders and pushed him against the Marine he was laying on top of, pinning down so that he could not move, giving him no opportunity to escape the onslaught that was about to come upon him. "You broke my friend's nose," his assailant shouted in a heavily accented voice. It sounded Russian. "Now I break your face!"

[Davis, E.]

There were close to one hundred and fifty personnel assigned to Oscar Company. When you pulled out the Officers (both Commissioned and Noncommissioned) you were left with around a hundred junior marines. Take out the casualty rate and those unwilling to risk an unsanctioned party there were likely fifty of them here in the simulator, with Mike and November having slightly fewer. Davis, with the rest of the junior marines of Oscar, flooded the floor, crashing into the area by the bar like the leading edge of a wave hitting the beach during a hurricane. To November's credit, their men rushed to join the fray, with the original fight becoming the epicenter of the brawl. Davis continued to chug on like a freight train towards his team, his shoulder and elbow destroying two more No-Cos before arriving with his team. Furby was locked in with a Russian, with Avery and Ward still doing their best to hold off the coming waves before reinforcements arrived.

"Should have known you trouble makers would have been the cause of this," Davis hollered as the rest of Oscar company rushed past them, pushing the November Marines back. "Come on, we've got more work to do if we're gonna get everyone out of here. But not before busting some heads."

Helping his people back on their feet, he led them into the fray again. His fist was bruised after landing the next blow, though it didn't hurt nearly as bad as the Marine's jaw. The man hit the ground unconscious, his eyes were open but not seeing as Davis charged by, still hammering away at any target he could find. He was pretty sure he saw a chair broken over someone's back, and the fight got more heated and intense as it went on, with Marine's from both sides being leveled.

It was all interrupted by a warning claxon. Apparently Beatrice had held up her end of the bargain and put a stop to it. The MP's had to be on the way. All the marines stopped for a moment trying to understand what was happening. Davis took the moment to get everyone out of the simulator. Or at least start towards the exits. 

"MAs!" He barked. "EVERYONE OUT! EXCEPT YOU, NO-GO."

Davis reached out and caught a Marine he recognized as one of the marines who had attacked Ward earlier this week. He was going to be the bait on the final phase of Davis's plan. The marine, already dazed from a previous blow could do little in Davis's steel grip.

"Get ready boys," Davis said to his team. "We're about to be famous."