Morrow nodded at each of them, then passed them each, their next six months’ assignment. Marine Training Camp for Gibbs who would be losing his earned rank and broken down to private first class under the command of the worst DI anyone could have as his personal trainer.

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His name was Marine DI Emrys. And he had been training marines since Andy Jackson was president according to rumor. He had been through ‘Nam and ‘Ruit. He had also trained marines and served with them in the sandbox both times.
An old trainee of his from the late 60’s who had done him proud had asked a favor and when he got the young’un, Gibbs background and what he’d been doin’ in the name of his beloved marines, well, he couldn’t turn it down now could be. In fact, he called up that old ‘cruit, of his and thanked him kindly for allowing him to correct this misbegotten marine in the manner he was being allowed too.
Qui-Pro-Quo and all that shit.

He was even allowed the time off his usual fun with working to build real marines to rebuild this misbegotten son of a bitch who thinks he was one. And he got permission to do it in the way he, himself, had been trained back in the day. Before all the touchy-feely shit came into vogue. He got to be real hands-on with recreating this marine.

The little pissant came off the ‘cruit bus with a ‘tude. One he literally smacked out of him by the back of his head and demanded he give him 50, then 50 more the correct way, then again as he lost count as the ‘cruit wasn’t counting them out loud enough for him to hear.
All this in front of the new ‘cruits who about shit their little waddies in fear of him doing the same to them before they were shouted at to follow their own leaders.

When this little shit-fuck PFC tried to get up, Emrys put his foot on his back and forced him to continue his counted moves by doing them with his foot pushing on his back.
At that point, DI Emrys grabbed the PFC by the neck and threw him towards the building to have his hair literally buzzed down to a proper trainee cut. Even going so far as to do it himself as the PFC was forced by his hand clenching on his neck to stand at attention while he did it. Tightening his hold on the idiot’s neck to choking anytime he moved a millimeter. Scaring the bumshit out of the ‘cruits there getting their own cuts all to hell and gone while he was at it. But they sure did behave themselves while he was there with his misbegotten one.

He threw the ‘cruit’s bag at a waiting core member and that staff sergeant threw him a new bag for his pretty baby. Which he threw hard into the stomach of the baby who was now red in the face. So much so, that he smacked the side of his head to get the look off it. Then proceeded to tell him all about himself in the proper marine DI manner of two inches from his nose. Then slammed the bag back into him and demanded he change into the proper uniform that his SUPERIORS had chosen for him. RIGHT THERE in front of everyone in the open. Then smacked the shit out of him when he spoke his displeasure and told him it was that or Leavenworth. His choice.
He changed, though didn’t look happy at the pink marine uniform with the black words across the back stating he was a mis-trained marine. And looking in his bag all the rest of his uniforms were the same.

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Six months later, under the care of an old school DI, PFC Gibbs re-graduated from bootcamp again, then was ordered to go back through FLETC for retraining.
His time as SSA was gone for the moment until he proved himself again. Until then, he was forced to work as a TDA to the other teams. Each for three months as just an junior agent. Before moving up to senior agent and doing it again.

By the time Ari rolled back on the scene, Gibbs had barely taken on a team as SFAC, whose own boss had a direct connection to Morrow and then to Emrys.
Ari was prepared for the man and team he had met a year earlier…….

5/29/2026