"T-minus ten minutes until the Graduation Ceremony starts, maggots! Move it!"Sergeant Barnes's voice hadn't lost an ounce of its bite in five years, yet today, the usual terror was replaced by a strange undercurrent of pride he had for the recruits of Room 619.
They were no longer noobs, they were C-Ranks, veterans of Bucky's hellish workouts and Steve's spiritual guidance.
In the minimalistic room they'd shared, the four friends—Leon, Lex, Daniel, and Raymond—were making final preparations. for their big day
"Well, this is it," Raymond said, adjusting the collar of his crisp new uniform.
"No more 0400 wake-up, but I think I will never sleep in again, we can't go back to the good old days," he said with a tear in his eye of the days he could still sleep in.
"We survived," Daniel added, a genuine smile on his face, though a nervous twitch suggested he was still anticipating more training from Captain Rogers.
Leon watched Lex and added
"We did what we set out to do."They fell into a comfortable silence, the memories of the last five years flashing by.
The time they snuck out to the island's town to get real food, only to be caught by Bucky who then made them run laps around the entire perimeter as punishment.
Or the first real monster extermination mission—a low-level skirmish outside the base perimeter—where they had to camp overnight, huddled around a fire, watching each other's backs. Those trials had forged them into something more than just cadets.
"We made it the the other side, brother," Lex said, offering his hand to Leon for a fist bump.
"That we did, you smug bastard," Leon replied, accepting the bump with a grin.
A final round of handshakes and back-pats later, and they were marching toward the parade grounds, ready to graduate and face the world.
The parade ground of the military island base was immaculate under the bright sun. Ranks of sharply dressed soliders, sharp in their formal Carbonan Weave uniforms, stood at rigid attention.
The air was thick with tension, pride, and the distant sound of soft music.
At the front of the formation stood Leon and Lex, their posture impeccable. Behind them, Daniel and Raymond maintained perfect military bearing. They were no longer boys; they were soldiers.
Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes stood before them, his uniform impossibly neat, a stark contrast to the grueling "Bucky" they knew from the gym. He held a clipboard, but his eyes swept across the faces of the graduating class.
"Five years ago," Bucky began, his voice a low growl that carried across the field, "you arrived here as spoiled, soft, maggots. You didn't know the meaning of pain, duty, or sacrifice." A few suppressed chuckles ran through the crowd; the "spoiled rich kids" he mentioned had long since been transferred out.
"You learnt. You bled. You adapted. Today, you graduate as soldiers of the Holfort Kingdom. You are the future." He paused, allowing the weight of his rare praise to sink in.
He began calling names, presenting medals for various achievements during their tenure.
"Cadet Daniel fou Durland." Daniel marched forward, chest out. "For mastery of the Earth Grace, achieving Rank C, and unparalleled resilience under Master Rogers." He pinned a gleaming medal on Daniel's chest.
"Cadet Raymond fou Arkin." Raymond accepted his medal. "For achieving Rank C in the Water Grace and exemplary tactical command during field simulations."
"Cadet Lex fou Bartfort." Lex moved with smooth confidence. "Achieving Rank C in the Eclipse Grace. Demonstrated exceptional initiative and bravery in the arena." The medal caught the sunlight, reflecting off his golden eyes.
"And finally, Cadet Leon fou Bartfort." Leon approached. "Achieving Rank C in the Storm Grace. For superior performance in combat and demonstrating leadership in adversity."
As the last medals were pinned, Bucky stepped back, allowing Captain Steve Rogers to step forward. Steve, usually the calmer of the two, had a look of intense sincerity on his face.
"You have all proved your mettle," Steve said, his voice softer than Bucky's but carrying the same weight of authority. "You four have gone beyond the call of duty. You became a unit, a brotherhood."
The rest of the Howling Commandos—the full 104th Regiment—stood behind the main instructors, watching the four boys they had mentored, punished, and trained.
"Listen closely," Steve continued, his voice ringing with absolute certainty. "In life, you'll find yourselves alone sometimes. The world of nobles and politics is colder than any storm Leon can summon, or any ice Lex can make."
He raised his voice, not just for the four, but for every soldier present.
"If you ever need help in life, just call. Because the Howling Commandos never leave a member behind. We will have your backs, always."
Every soldier of the 104th Regiment, from Bucky to the privates who had fought the boys in the arena, brought their hands to their brows in a single, perfectly synchronized, heartfelt salute. It was a promise, a vow of brotherhood that transcended rank and station.
Lex, Leon, Daniel, and Raymond, tears blurring their vision, the shining new medals heavy on their chests, snapped off their own crisp salutes in return. The moment cemented the end of one journey and the true beginning of their new lives as soldiers of the Kingdom.
(PS they will remain in the regiments books as a full unit of privates